Migrants, who were found at sea on a boat, collect rainwater during a heavy
rain fall at a temporary refugee camp near Kanyin Chaung jetty, outside
Maungdaw township, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on Thursday. (Reuters Photo/Soe
Zeya Tun)
The United
Nations predicts that by 2030 there will be another billion people on our
planet, which will increase pressure on our finite natural resources — perhaps
most importantly, water.
Currently 84 percent of the rural
populations and 96 percent of urban populations in Asean countries have
access to clean drinking water, while the level of wastewater treated varies
from 100 percent in Singapore to less than 15 percent in Indonesia,
Philippines, and Vietnam.
Given the significant population growth projected
in the region, it is widely admitted that unless there is more investment in
water and wastewater treatment technologies, these statistics will not improve
and could deteriorate.
For countries that do invest in improving
their water quality standards, there are the obvious health and environmental
benefits, and also economic opportunities. Asean's water treatment sector
is now valued at $15 billion and offers employment opportunities for thousands
of workers in an expanding industry.
Improving the region’s drinking water
The 54 million people expected to move to
cities in the Asean region by 2025 will increase pressure on municipal
water supplies, already today under severe stress.
To meet this challenge, significant
investment is needed. This is most efficiently obtained through filtration
technologies, particularly membrane filtration and the effective
ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis systems that extract up to 99 percent of
physical impurities from water.
The use of disinfection technologies is
also important. The alternatives range from sodium hypochlorite dosing, gas
chlorination, ozone, to on-site generation of biocides using
electrochlorination technologies. The latter is more technologically-advanced,
offering sizeable advantages in effectiveness, raising safety standards, and
reducing chemical use.
As water treatment is also a long-term
investment, failure to invest in cutting-edge technology today may have
negative repercussions in coming years, with hardware maintenance, upgrading
regulations, and societal economic impacts driving the need for scalable, more
advanced drinking water systems.
Raising the bar on wastewater treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates the capital cost required for Asean to achieve universal
coverage in sanitation and wastewater to be more than $15 billion. However, the
costs of not doing so are more: untreated wastewater can lead to health issues
and severe environmental impacts. According to a 2008 UN report the cost of
poor sanitation on the Philippines economy was around $1.4 billion/year.
In West Java, the Citarum River, home to
over five million people and the source of 80 percent of Jakarta’s water, has
been named by environmental NGOs, Green Cross Switzerland and the Blacksmith
Institute, as one of the world's top 10 most polluted sites. The Asian
Development Bank established a project in 2008 to clean up the river but the
situation has worsened to the point that fisherman now collect plastic to be
recycled, as the fish and fauna have been killed.
This April in Vietnam, more than 100
tonnes of fish suddenly died due to toxic water released into the sea. It was
estimated the local fishing economy lost over $5 million and the regional
tourism market also suffered, with around 30 percent of tourists cancelling
holidays.
Asean accounts for one quarter of
global fish production and it is a vital part of the region’s economy. It is
not just up to one country to protect the environment, it requires a collective
effort. Aquatic animals in the region already face an estimated extinction rate
five times higher than animals that live on land.
Stricter regulations and enforcement for
the treatment and disposal of wastewater can improve the health of the region’s
oceans and waterway, broader environment, the economy, and ultimately the
quality of life for habitants.
Our view is that all public and private
sector stakeholders in the region should be meeting WHO’s standards requiring a
minimum of at least two forms of treatment. These are primary or mechanical
treatment and secondary or biological treatment. It is preferable to include
the tertiary phase, to provide the highest quality of wastewater, however if
this is not possible we recommend the additional use of disinfection.
Limiting impact through recycling
Rather than dumping wastewater directly in
waterways, recycling it for use in industrial and municipal water supplies sees
Singapore as a leader in the hydro world.
Singapore was an early adopter of this
technology. Currently 30 percent of Singapore’s water is reclaimed through
treatment to make it safe for reuse. By 2030, 50 percent of Singapore’s water
will be recycled reducing the country’s reliance on other sources of water.
The adoption of this technology by other
countries in the region can also help provide the water they need for their
economies to prosper, and reduce untreated wastewater effluent.
Investing in the future
There is no quick-fix solution to improve
the treatment of the region’s water and wastewater. However, if public and
private stakeholders work together it can have a positive effect. The huge
growth in Asia’s clean-tech industry shows this is already happening.
Global water treatment company De Nora has
been active in the region for 30 years and sees the Asean region as one
where investment in technology and expertise can make a real difference.
We are happy to be part of Singapore
International Water Week for the first time following acquisitions in 2015
which saw us broaden our portfolio, and joining our industry colleagues in
these important water management discussions.
Vincenzo Palma is De Nora's Regional Sales
Director for Asia Pacific
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