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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

Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,100 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges

Gold prices soared to a historic high above $5,100 per ounce on Monday, extending a powerful rally as investors flocked to the precious metal amid escalating geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Spot gold...

Morgan Stanley Raises KOSPI Target to 5,200 on Strong Earnings and Reform Momentum

Morgan Stanley has raised its end-2026 target for South Koreas benchmark stock index, the KOSPI, citing robust earnings momentum and ongoing structural reforms that continue to support further upside despite the markets...

Asian Stocks Mixed as Yen Surges and Markets Await Fed, Tech Earnings

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Monday as investors stayed cautious ahead of a highly anticipated Federal Reserve policy meeting later this week and a heavy global technology earnings calendar. Market sentiment across...

Asian Currencies Climb as Dollar Slumps, Yen Jumps on Intervention Speculation

Most Asian currencies strengthened on Monday as the U.S. dollar extended sharp losses ahead of the Federal Reserves highly anticipated policy meeting later this week. The Japanese yen led gains in the region, surging to...

China Yuan Hits 32-Month High as Central Bank Manages Appreciation Pace

Chinas yuan strengthened to a fresh 32-month high against the U.S. dollar on Monday, supported by a combination of central bank guidance, a weaker dollar, and seasonal corporate demand ahead of the Lunar New Year. The...

Politics

U.S., South Korea Deepen Defense Ties as Seoul Pursues Nuclear-Powered Submarine

The United States and South Korea have agreed to deepen defense cooperation, particularly regarding Seouls pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine, in a move that underscores a shifting security dynamic on the Korean...

Australia Day Protests Highlight Deep Divisions Over Indigenous Rights and Immigration

Thousands of Australians marked Australia Day on Monday by attending large-scale Invasion Day rallies across major cities, showing support for Indigenous Australians and calling for unity amid growing political and social...

U.S. Security Guarantees for Ukraine Ready as Kyiv Awaits Signing Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced that a key U.S. document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is fully prepared, with Kyiv now waiting for confirmation on when and where it will be signed....

Trump’s Centralized Foreign Policy Sparks Greenland Controversy and Ally Concerns

A recent Reuters report reveals how President Donald Trumps highly centralized foreign policy approach triggered diplomatic shockwaves over Greenland, alarming U.S. allies and even senior officials within his own...

More Than 100 Venezuelan Political Prisoners Released Amid Ongoing Human Rights Scrutiny

At least 104 people identified as political prisoners by a prominent Venezuelan human rights organization were released from detention on Sunday, marking a significant development in Venezuelas ongoing political prisoner...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Samsung Set to Begin HBM4 Production for Nvidia and AMD

Samsung Electronics is preparing to begin mass production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, known as HBM4, as early as next month, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The...

U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are calling for closer congressional scrutiny of a new deal involving TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, raising fresh concerns about national security, data privacy, and potential Chinese...

Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market

Swedens telecom equipment giant Ericsson announced plans to significantly boost shareholder returns after reporting a sharp rise in net cash and continued margin improvements, even as the global mobile network market...

Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has fully restored access to its Microsoft 365 productivity suite following a widespread service outage that disrupted users across multiple regions, particularly in North America. The...

Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance

Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is set to become more expensive over time as its technology improves, according to CEO Elon Musk. The announcement comes as Tesla Inc. continues its transition away from a one-time...