Future-proofing communities through sustainable developments

ABOUT 49% of Filipinos now live in urban barangays, and roughly 36% of them stay in informal settlements, according to the United Nations.

- By Mhicole A. Moral Special Features and Content Writer

Panel Discussion 1 (from left): BusinessWorld Reporter Beatriz Cruz (moderator), Robinsons Land Corp. Chief Strategist and Lead for Sustainability Ramon Rivero, and pdp + Architecture Principal & CEO Ar. Cathy Saldaña

Many of these residents lack access to clean water, stable electricity, and proper sanitation — problems that expose the weaknesses of rapid urbanization.

The importance of sustainable urban development was discussed at the BusinessWorld Insights forum on Oct. 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. The event, themed “Building Smart, Sustainable, and Future-Ready Communities,” gathered experts to discuss how cities can prepare for the next phase of urban growth.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippine Economist Mohamed Shahudh said cities are reaching their limits as populations rise faster than infrastructure can keep up with.

“When rapid urbanization takes place, these historic infrastructures are pushed beyond what they were designed to handle,” Mr. Shahudh said. “Climate change makes things worse, exposing these cities to higher levels of risk.”

UNDP data show that urban areas worldwide need between $4.5 trillion and $5.4 trillion each year until 2030 to modernize housing, transport, energy, water, and waste management systems. However, from 2001 to 2022, cities received less than 20% of the funding required for infrastructure.

Mr. Shahudh noted that the Philippines is lagging in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities. For him, the country should build sustainable communities by involving three key areas: climate adaptation, circular economy practices, and stronger local governance.

“Approaches must be people-centered, especially for the vulnerable,” he said. “Adaptation plans should be co-created with urban communities, and nature-based solutions must be mainstreamed as they are among the most cost-effective and resilient responses.”