The best way of improving the quality of life for many people today is to remove air pollution. Access to fresh air is one of the most basic human right and does wonders to one's health. Despite the large amount of incentives given by the government, improvements to air quality moves at a snail's pace. Sometimes the air quality appears to be worsening due to intense urbanisation and industrial activities around the island nation. The nation often relies on rain and wind to reduce pollutants in the air. The good thing though is that air quality in Singapore is not as bad as cities like Jakarta and Beijing - if that's any consolation.

What Singapore needs today are eco-champions willing to step up in the fight against pollution. Pumping more resources into cybersecurity and big data is good but is only a fraction of the importance of what truly matters in improving the quality of lives for people both locally and globally.