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Asit K. Biswas

Distinguished Visiting Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Prof. Asit K. Biswas is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on water and environmental management. He is co-founder of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico and currently the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School for Public Policy in Singapore. Formerly Professor in UK, Canada and Sweden, he was member of the World Commission on Water, and a founder of the International Water Resources Association and World Water Council. He has been senior advisor to 20 governments, six Heads of United Nations Agencies, two Secretary-Generals of OECD, and many other major international and national organizations. He is Past President of the International Water Resources Association and is founder and co-chair of the Club of Tokyo.

Among his numerous awards are Crystal Drop and Millennium Prizes of the International Water Resources Association; Walter Huber Prize of the American Society of Civil Engineering. He received the Stockholm Water Prize, considered to be the Nobel Prize for area of water, for ‘his outstanding and multi-faceted contributions to global water resource issues;’ Person of the Year Award from Prime Minister Harper of Canada; Aragon Environment Prize of Spain; ‘Excellence Award for Achievements’ from New Global Indian Foundation; ‘Hind Rattan Award’ (Jewel of India). Reuters named him as one of the top 10 water trailblazers of the world. He was selected by the Impeller magazine as a ‘true global water hero’, and was named the world’s second most influential water industry leader by Water and Wastewater International of UK.

Prof. Biswas was a member of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum and is currently member of the International Advisory Board, Pictet Investments, Geneva; member of the Advisory Board, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; and Strategic Advisor, Singapore International Water Week.

He advises Chairman of the Board or CEOs of three major multinational companies which are listed within the first 50 of the Global 500 companies, on corporate strategies, technological issues and social responsibilities.

Prof. Biswas is the founder of the International Journal of Water Resources Development and was its Editor-in-Chief for its first 29 years. He has authored or edited 84 books and has published well over 650 scientific and technical papers. His work has now been translated into 38 languages. He is regular contributor to many national and international newspapers on resource and development related issues and also is a television commentator in three continents.

COVID-19 heightens water problems around the world

Jun 14, 2020 12:30 pm UTC| Life

COVID-19 will unquestionably delay achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the latest global attempt to improve the quality of life of billions of people around the world by 2030. Increasing access to...

How new Silk Road will cement China as major trading partner for Africa

Aug 21, 2018 16:12 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

In 138 BC China took its first step towards global connectivity with the establishment of the historical Silk Road. Zhang Qian was sent by Emperor Wudi to Central Asia to establish trade relationships. His historic...

Why smart policies are key to solving the world’s clean water problems

Jul 19, 2018 16:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Around 2.5 to 3 billion people worldwide dont have access to clean water. There are at least another 1.5 billion in developed countries who may have access to clean water but dont trust its quality. A number of widely...

Taxes on sugary beverages are not enough on their own to halt march of obesity in Asia

Sep 27, 2017 08:52 am UTC| Insights & Views

Facing declining markets in Western countries, multinational food companies are targeting Africa, Asia, and Latin America as new consumers of packaged foods, in a move that may worsen the global epidemic of chronic illness...

New Delhi is running out of water

Jul 11, 2017 20:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

As summer temperatures soar above 40C in New Delhi, acute water shortages are gripping parts of Indias capital. Signs of water stress are now everywhere, and residents in southern and western parts of the city have not...

India's wells are running dry, fast

Jun 17, 2017 16:23 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Over the past three years, the monsoon the rainy season that runs from June through September, depending on the region has been weak or delayed across much of India, causing widespread water shortages. With the onset...

Economy

US Stock Futures Mixed as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade, AI Deals in Focus

U.S. stock futures traded mixed Monday as investors reassessed the Federal Reserve interest rate outlook and prepared for major retail earnings, while developments involving Anthropic, Nvidia and the Strait of Hormuz also...

European Stocks Edge Higher as Fed Rate Pause Bets Rise

European equities moved modestly higher on Monday as falling government bond yields and a weaker U.S. dollar supported investor sentiment. Markets are increasingly betting that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates...

US Dollar Slips as Soft Economic Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar weakened on Monday as softer economic indicators reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again in the near term, while the Japanese yen gained modestly despite disappointing...

Malaysia Inflation Eases to 1.8% in July, Below Forecast

Malaysias inflation rate moderated slightly in July, with consumer prices rising 1.8% from a year earlier, according to government data released on Monday. The latest increase in Malaysias Consumer Price Index (CPI) came...

BSP Sees Philippine Inflation Easing, Keeps Policy Options Open

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects inflation in the Philippines to gradually ease over the medium term, although risks to consumer prices remain tilted to the upside, central bank Governor Eli Remolona said on...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Lula Targets Brazil’s Gig Workers as Reelection Battle Takes Shape

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his final reelection campaign on Sunday in Sao Bernardo do Campo, returning to the stadium where his rise as a labor leader began nearly five decades ago....

Trump Envoys Hold Gaza Peace Talks in Cairo as Israeli Strikes Continue

U.S. President Donald Trumps envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday as diplomatic efforts intensified to advance Washingtons Gaza peace plan while Israeli airstrikes continued...

Migrants in Spain’s Ceuta Protest for Asylum, Refuse Return to Morocco

Hundreds of migrants in Spains North African enclave of Ceuta gathered on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to grant them asylum rather than return them to Morocco. The protesters are among an...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...

Nvidia’s $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push Wins Morgan Stanley Support

Nvidia is doubling down on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with a plan to help mobilize as much as $500 billion in third-party capital, drawing participation from major financial firms including Apollo,...

Alphabet Shifts AI Strategy Toward Commercial Growth, Goldman Sachs Says

Alphabet is increasingly shifting its artificial intelligence strategy toward commercialization, scale and long-term revenue growth, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. The investment bank said recent management changes,...

Nvidia Eyes $3 Billion Investment in SoftBank-Backed AI Data Center

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $3 billion in SB Energy, a SoftBank Group-backed company developing a major AI data center campus in Ohio for OpenAI. According to a report by The Information, the...