Canadian scientist wins Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize

SINGAPORE — Canadian hydrogeologist John Anthony Cherry, 74, has been awarded this year’s Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, for his lifelong dedication to his work in groundwater research, and developing solutions to provide safe drinking water. Groundwater resources make up 95 per cent of the planet’s usable freshwater.

Prof Cherry developed scientific frameworks that have been implemented in places such as the United States, China and Brazil using technologies and processes to monitor and clean up contaminated groundwater.

His work also formed the basis for the criteria used in disposing solid-form, hazardous industrial and nuclear waste that could flow into water bodies, and they have been incorporated into regulatory frameworks.

The Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Canada’s University of Waterloo is set to deliver the Singapore Water Lecture on July 11 here and receive the award at a ceremony and banquet on the same night, in conjunction with Singapore International Water Week 2016.

Named after Singapore’s founding Prime Minister and launched in 2008, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is given out once every two years to individuals or organisations that contribute to solving global water challenges by developing or applying innovative technologies, policies or programmes. There were 98 nominations for this year’s award, which comes with a cash prize of S$300,000. Prof Cherry said: “It is an incredible honour to receive the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize ... I am confident that global accolades such as (this) will heighten awareness of the global water challenges.”

The researcher is now leading an international team to acquire and test small, low-cost portable rock drills to make small-capacity wells in mountainous regions, to lower the risk of bacterial contamination for villages in need of clean water supply. Mr Tan Gee Paw, chairman of the award’s nominating committee, hailed Prof Cherry’s approach towards water solutions as “courageous, informed, decisive”.

He added: “The insights and contributions made by Prof Cherry form today’s framework in understanding one of the world’s most precious water resources and ultimately lead to the provision of safe drinking water to populations that rely primarily on groundwater resources.”