Singapore third in managing environmental challenges

SingaporeSnippets
Today Online 29 Feb 08;

Singapore has been ranked as one of the top three cities in managing environmental challenges such as air pollution, infectious disease and the potential impact of natural disasters, according to a report by MasterCard.

Among 21 key centres of commerce, Melbourne took first place and Johannesburg second. Singapore's placing is partly a result of the Government's action to manage the quality of water, air and waste removal systems. Another contributing factor was the low risk of unpredictable environmental events such as earthquakes.

But Singapore could be susceptible to effects of climatic change, such as permanent flooding due to a rise in sea-level.

Melbourne's Environment Quality Highest, Mumbai Lowest (Table)
Patricia Chua, Bloomberg 28 Feb 08;

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The following table shows the results of MasterCard's Worldwide Insights Report on Urbanization and Environmental Challenges in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Cities are ranked highest to lowest in terms of environmental quality as measured by water potability and availability, sewage system, waste removal, air quality, infectious diseases, potential climate change impact and natural disasters.

Note 1: # Combined ranking is weighted as follows:

Dimension 1 - 70%; dimension 2 - 20%; dimension 3 - 10% Note 2: * Dimension 1 - factors largely under government's control
- water potability & availability, sewage system, waste removal, air quality, infectious diseases

* Dimension 2 - factors not considered under government's control and subject to climate change
- sea levels rising, water scarcity, severe storms, fires

* Dimension 3 - factors linked to unpredictable environmental risks
- earthquakes, typhoons/hurricanes, volcano eruptions

Source: MasterCard Worldwide



India's big cities are worst for air quality
Raphael Minder, Financial Times 28 Feb 08;

India's two leading cities are at the bottom of an environmental ranking due out today that suggests water and air quality will become an ever bigger challenge for the development of Mumbai and New Delhi.

The report, undertaken by MasterCard but based on a compilation of scientific data, puts China's leading cities above their Indian counterparts, even though Hong Kong and Beijing in particular have come under intense criticism over air quality in the run-up to this year's Olympic Games.

"The fact that China is now under a constant magnifying glass does not mean we should ignore other places and some objective facts," said Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, economic adviser to MasterCard and author of the report.

"India really has to move fast to prevent slipping down any further," he added.

Over the past five years China has invested about 15 times more than India in transport, sewerage and other infrastructure that contribute to improving living standards in urban centres, according to Mr Yuwa.

Additionally, India's democratic system and policymaking process make it harder to implement reform, while "China can clearly mobilise".

The study ranked 21 leading cities in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Melbourne led the ranking ahead of Johannesburg and Singapore. Among Chinese cities, the worst performer was Shenzhen, the industrial hub next to Hong Kong, which itself was the best-ranked Chinese city.

Mr Yuwa said the weighting given by MasterCard to different environmental problems was subjective and debatable.

But MasterCard used data from the World Health Organisation, other United Nations agencies and national agencies such as the US geological survey and Mercer, the consultancy. The study gave three waterrelated issues - potability, availability and the sewage system - a combined weighting slightly above that of air quality.

However, on air quality alone, Mumbai and New Delhi also came equal bottom, below Jakarta, Cairo, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The study also takes into account natural phenomena and Johannesburg's high ranking in part reflects its favourable location in terms of limited vulnerability to natural disaster.

In contrast, Tokyo was ranked lower because of the risk of earthquake, typhoon and volcanic eruption. Sydney also ranked down the list because of the risk of rising sea levels, water scarcity and fires.