Page 42 - HSBC NYAA Youth Environmental Award 25th Anniversary

Tan Sok Hian

Tan Sok Hian’s environmental journey began in 2012
as a volunteer with Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Green
Volunteer Interest Group. She became involved in
various impactful green initiatives, such as launching
the Floating Wetlands at the Chinese Garden, managing
the Outdoor Laboratory Enrichment Programme, and
supporting Keppel Club’s Earth Week in 2013 and 2014.
These experiences provided her with practical skills and
a deeper understanding of sustainability.

In recognition of her dedication, Sok Hian was named a
Keppel Club Ambassador and a PUB Friend of Water in
2014. Her active involvement in environmental advocacy
led to her nomination by the National Environment Tan Sok Hian
Agency to serve on the inaugural Youth Planning Team Engineer, PUB
for Youth for the Environment Day (YED) in 2015.

Her contributions expanded beyond Singapore through Building on her passion for environmental issues and
environmental study trips to Taman Negara and South her Environmental and Water Technology diploma from
Korea, where participants were exposed to regional Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Sok Hian pursued a Master of
conservation efforts. For her final-year project at Ngee Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering in the UK. She
Ann Polytechnic, Sok Hian worked in a team investigating became interested in sustainable infrastructure and
phosphate recovery from sewage treatments, and water resources and joined PUB, Singapore’s National
the findings were presented at the World Engineers
Summit 2015. She also applied her engineering skills Water Agency, in 2019. She started with drainage
by designing DIY floating wetlands to improve oxidation planning work, ensuring that new developments
ponds at schools in West Malaysia. adhered to drainage design standards. More recently,
she has been a part of the operations team at one of
In 2014, Sok Hian was awarded the Ngee Ann Polytechnic PUB’s desalination plants, contributing to Singapore’s
Overseas Merit Fellowship. The following year, 2015, efforts to build a resilient and sustainable water supply
she received the HSBC NYAA Youth Environmental in the face of climate change. Her work reflects her
Award and participated in a fully sponsored climate ongoing commitment to integrating infrastructure
change expedition to Acadia National Park in Maine, development with environmental stewardship, focusing
USA. During the expedition, she worked with scientists on promoting water sustainability and ensuring resilient
to gather data on the effects of climate change on water management.
biodiversity, gaining valuable insight into ecosystem
shifts and climate challenges.

40 The Journey of Sustainability: 25 Years and Beyond