Limitations of Global Urban Liveability Indices in Addressing Climate Risks and Infrastructure Realities
This article critiques popular urban metrics like the UN-Habitat City Prosperity Index and the Global Liveability Index. It argues that these indices often focus on stability, healthcare, and culture while ignoring a city's resilience to extreme weather events. For instance, cities like Chennai or Bangkok might score well on connectivity but lack adequate drainage for 21st-century cloudbursts. The author suggests that these indices create a 'modernity' bias, where visible infrastructure like airports is prioritized over essential but 'thankless' tasks like desilting canals or enforcing building codes in flood-prone zones, leading to skewed investment priorities.
Key Points
- Current liveability indices fail to account for how well a city can withstand climate shocks like floods or heatwaves.
- There is a 'modernity' bias that favors visible infrastructure over resilient urban planning and maintenance.
- Indices often use city-wide averages, masking the vulnerability of low-income residents in flood-prone areas.
- International funding is often tied to these flawed indicators, reinforcing unsustainable urban development patterns.
Exam Facts
- UN-Habitat City Prosperity Index and Global Liveability Index are key urban metrics discussed.
- The City Resilience Index focuses on how well cities withstand shocks like extreme weather.
- The article highlights that many 'modern' cities lack drainage systems capable of handling 300 mm of rain in 24 hours.
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