The Institute of Water Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy expands its scope of work from the current focus on water policy to include related sustainability and environmental challenges, such as climate and land use change. Singapore, Asia, and the world are at a pivotal crossroads in which problem-focused policy research will help direct our collective efforts in traveling an economically productive, socially cohesive, and environmentally friendly path.
This moment is special for at least three reasons. First, there is growing awareness that from local resource issues to UN global deliberations, water is part of a broader interaction of climate and terrestrial ecosystems whose conservation requires an integrated approach. Second, IWP is well-positioned to draw on a larger group of cutting-edge faculty research at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the National University of Singapore generally. Third, IWP will be able to better support and contribute to Singapore’s broader sustainability agenda, as well as have a wider impact on Asia’s environmental and sustainability goals.
The expansion of IWP’s scope of work was initiated by the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Professor Danny Quah. To support the expansion, Professor Benjamin Cashore will be appointed as Co-Director of IWP. Professor Cashore specialises in global and multi-level environmental governance, comparative public policy and administration, and transnational business regulation/corporate social responsibility. His substantive research interests include climate policy, biodiversity conservation/land use change, and sustainable environmental management of forests and related agricultural sectors. He recently joined the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy after spending eighteen years at Yale University as a professor of environmental governance and political science. Associate Professor Eduardo Araral keeps leading the team as Director of IWP.