Nominating committee

Nominations for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize went through a rigorous selection process. The Nominating Committee, comprising chief executives of multi-national water companies, leading academics and government officers, conducted a thorough examination of all the submitted nominations. It recommended the winner to the Water Prize Council, which is chaired by Dr Tony Tan, of the Singapore National Research Foundation, for its endorsement.

Professor Lettinga says, “I feel deeply honoured and grateful to receive this award because it originates from the small yet astoundingly successful city state, Singapore.

“More importantly, the Water Prize bears the name Lee Kuan Yew, the impressive and inspiring first Prime Minister of Singapore.”

Named after Singapore’s first Prime Minister and present Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the award comes with a cash prize of SGD300,000, an award certificate and a gold medallion. The award is solely sponsored by the Singapore Millennium Foundation, a philanthropic body supported by Temasek Holdings that has pledged SGD1.5 million over five years since 2008.

The inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize was presented to Dr Andrew Benedek in 2008. Dr Benedek is a Canadian researcher and successful technopreneur who pioneered the development of low-pressure membranes that enabled drinking water to be produced from even highly polluted water.

About Singapore International Water Week

Singapore International Water Week is the global platform for water solutions. It brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.

Comprising the Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo and Business Forums, it culminates in the presentation of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, a prestigious international award to recognize outstanding contributions in solving global water issues.

The second Singapore International Water Week will be held from 22 to 26 June 2009 at Suntec Singapore. The theme is Sustainable Cities – Infrastructure and Technologies for Water.