Fifty years ago Singapore had to ration water, and its smelly rivers were devoid of fish and choked with waste from shipbuilding, pig farms and toilets that emptied directly into streams. Singapore, which is recognized as a global leader in water technology, set up a water planning unit in 1972. Unlike Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo, it does not have land outside the city to act as huge catchment areas. Eleven government agencies joined up from 1977 to 1987 to clean the heavily polluted Singapore River and Kallang Basin in the main commercial area. More than 260 tonnes of rubbish were removed, the area was landscaped, and in 1987, fish returned to the waters. Worried about pollution, authorities initially kept people away from the waterways.

At 50, Singapore leads water revolution. (2015, August 6). Philippine Star, p. B-8.