Centre for Water Policy
The Centre for Water Policy (CWP) builds on 17 years of water policy and
governance research conducted by the Institute of Water Policy (IWP) which
was founded into and expanded within IES in 2022. CWP continues its close
partnership with the Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore’s national
water agency, providing evidence-based guidance for water and oceans policy
design. The centre's mission is to deliver on improving water resource
management practices and water security in Singapore, Southeast Asia, Asia
more broadly and internationally, through relevant research, education and
capacity building.
WATER GOVERNANCE
To examine the socio-political, socio-economic, social-environmental
systems, and their various interactions that influence water use, water
management, and water security policies. Water security is the ability to
ensure universal access to safe water and sanitation in adequate quantity
and quality to sustain human well-being and economic activity. Further,
water being the core component in the water-food-energy nexus to maintain
regional peace and security, we shall continue to focus our research on good
water governance and management practices.
WATER ECONOMICS
To address water security concerns through various theoretic foundations
drawn from rational choice theories, institutional economics, game theory,
behavioural economics, developmental economics, environmental economics, and
experimental economics. The methodological approaches include econometric
analysis, randomised controlled trials, qualitative comparative analysis,
choice experiments, and others.
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND POLICY IN WATER
To study the interaction of science, technological advances, and public
policy with a focus on water. While great technological developments have
been made in ecosystem restoration, water treatment and storage, water
recycling, and efficient water use practices, how to integrate these
advances with policy remains an active area of research. CWP continues to
contribute to the knowledge base in this domain.
BEHAVIORAL STUDIES
To explore the interaction of policy nudges, tools, and other incentives on
human behaviour to enable desired outcomes for effective water demand
management strategies, resource use, and conservation.