Singapore and the World Health Organisation (WHO) signed a new partnership agreement on water management in Sweden today.

Under this agreement, which will run until 2015, WHO will work with Singapore to strengthen and disseminate knowledge to other developing countries. The collaboration leverages on Singapore's expertise in safe water management in water-stressed situations, and with WHO's leading role internationally in providing guidance on water safety measures.

The areas of cooperation will include research collaboration on water quality, water technologies, and best practices; and the co-organising of workshops for WHO member states in Asia. Singapore will also support WHO's response to regional chemical contamination to water resources and host WHO-based conferences and meetings. It will share its expertise and second experts to the WHO.

"Singapore is an exemplary model of integrated water management and WHO hopes to work closely with Singapore to share such expertise in water management with its Member States," said Mrs Susanne Weber-Mosdorf, WHO's Assistant Director General for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments.

"It is our collective responsibility to address the devastating effects of declining water quality. When water is scarce, people are forced to rely on unsafe water. Proper water management is ever more crucial in those places where little water is available. Moreover, with freshwater resources strongly affected by, and vulnerable to, climate change, finding solutions to these challenges becomes all the more pressing.

"There is an urgent need for sustainable water solutions and we are pleased to partner with Singapore in this mission," she added.