Keynote, Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Climate Action (SDG 13)
Advancing clean water and environmental remediation: research and philanthropic initiatives in Southeast Asia Richard Webster Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore E-mail: webster@ntu.edu.sg Established in 2010, the Lien Environmental Fellowship (LEF) 1 is the philanthropic arm of Nanyang Techno- logical University’s (NTU) Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI). 2 It supports and administers the Lien Environmental Fellowship Programme (LEFP), funded by the Lien Foundation. 3 The LEFP aims to empower local champions to tackle water, sanitation, and environmental issues in de- veloping communities across Southeast Asia and South Asia. The Fellowship targets early and mid-career academics in the region who are dedicated to improving environmental and community health through sustainable, scalable, technology-based interventions. Fellows develop and refine their proposals under the mentorship of NEWRI faculty before returning to their home institutions to implement these projects and disseminate their knowledge to students. To date, the LEF programme has supported 26 projects in 11 countries—Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam—benefiting over 2 million people. This presentation will highlight recent projects where advanced scientific and engineering technologies have been introduced into developing communities to meet their clean water and sanitation goals, including the use of advanced membrane systems for water purification that can be serviced by the village communities themselves without requiring expensive and ongoing maintenance. Key words: Environmental pollution; nanofiltration membranes; nutrient recovery; zero waste discharge References 1. https://www.ntu.edu.sg/newri/programmes/lien-environmental-fellowship-lef-program/
2. https://www.ntu.edu.sg/newri 3. https://lienfoundation.org/
© The Author(s), 2025
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