Introduction 1. Health With a population of around 5.7 million people for a land 1.1 Basic sanitation area of about 720 square kilometers, Singapore is the most densely populated country in the world,6save for Monaco In the Lion City, sanitation challenges are strongly linked to (Hirschmann, 2020). Its diverse population is a mix of Chinese, the difficulties of providing water to this densely populated Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and others. Known as the Lion City, city. Singapore’s approach to sanitation has involved not Singapore has resolved to become the first Smart Nation in the only the development of physical infrastructure but also the world by using technology to improve quality of life, enhance implementation of legislation on water pricing and public businesses, and build opportunities. education on water use (Ivy Ong Bee Luan, 2010). The Smart Nation initiative was launched in 2014 by Prime In 2007, Singapore’s water and sanitation utility, the Public Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore has worked on innovative Utilities Board (PUB), was awarded the Stockholm Industry technologies that form the infrastructure foundation for the Water Award for its holistic approach to water resources Smart Nation. Two of these technologies are the Smart Nation management (Stockholm International Water Institute, 2010). Platform (SNP) and Heterogeneous Network (HetNet). Three This early response to water issues shows the city-state’s years after its launch, the initiative received an injection of willingness to develop pioneering solutions to overcome its government funding to the tune of 1.73 billion US dollars (1 US geographical challenges. dollar $ 1.24 Singapore dollars in 2014). Once the project was launched, a massive transition journey, known as E3A In 1998, NEWater, a branch of the Singaporean government’s (Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, All the Time), began. The National Environment Agency (NEA), launched the Singapore Smart Nation initiative is designed to overcome key challenges Water Reclamation Study to confirm whether reclaimed water such as a lack of resources, as well as to maintain Singapore’s treated to potable standards could represent a sustainable water robust global competitiveness and attractiveness for businesses source (Public Authority Board Website, 2020). Today, reclaimed and people (Sang Keon Lee et al., 2016; Hirschmann, 2020). water meets up to 40 percent of Singapore’s water consumption needs (Straits Times, 2018). Studies by the Institute of Southeast According to the IMD World Competitiveness Center’s Smart Asian Studies show that in 2003 Singapore was self-sufficient in Cities Index (2019), these are the essential features of Singapore terms of its water needs (Poh Onn Lee, 2003). as a smart city:7 •Worldwide Smart City Ranking: 1st; rated AAA in 2019; Singapore’s high density creates difficulties when it comes to •According to the IMD’s index, the five priority areas for water resources. However, Singapore’s rainfall average (2,400 Singapore’s citizens are affordable housing (74 percent), millimeters per year) is far above the global average (1,050 fulfilling employment (51 percent), unemployment (40 millimeters per year), and so harvested rainwater is a key percent), public transport (38 percent), and road congestion source of water (Ivy Ong Been Luan, 2010). (37 percent); •63 percent of Singapore’s citizens are willing to hand over A critical advance in water management in Singapore was the personal data to improve traffic congestion; launch of a desalination plant in 2005 at a cost of two hundred 72 percent of citizens are comfortable with using face million Singapore dollars. Built and managed by Hyflux,8 a • recognition technologies to lower crime; global sustainable solutions company based in Singapore, •68.5 percent of citizens feel the availability of online the plant can produce up to thirty million imperial gallons of information has increased their trust in the authorities. water, which is equivalent to 140,000 cubic meters, per day. That volume meets 10 percent of Singapore’s water needs (Dominique Loh, 2005). Demonstrating how water is considered a new growth sector for the city-state, in 2006 the government decided to invest 330 million Singapore dollars over a five-year period in making Singapore a global hub for water research and development (Ivy Ong Bee Luan, 2010) (6) https://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/reference/singapore-in-figures/population-and-households (accessed on 10 June 2021). (7) From a list of fifteen indicators, IMD survey respondents were asked to select five “priority areas” that they perceived as the most urgent for their city. The higher the percentage of responses per area, the greater the priority for the city. (8) https://www.hyflux.com/ 148 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021