In 2018, 55% of the global population was in urban areas, and was projected to increase to 68% or 2.5 billion more people by 2050. Asia and Africa play a big role in these numbers, with approximately 90% of the growth occurring in these regions. The Philippines is in Asia, which accounts for 54% of the world's population1. As the negative impacts of urbanization become more imminent, managing this growth as efficiently as possible is a must.
Manila ranked 93rd overall in the 2024 Sustainable Cities Index (SCI). Although humbling, our place in the sustainability ranking offers an opportunity to reflect on and take lessons from past efforts, or lack thereof.
The first step to rising above this current position is to ask ourselves, "Why are we here?” Understanding Manila's challenges in recent years to develop sustainable meaningful advancements will then help answer the question, “How can we get there?"
Manila's challenges by the pillars
Every country relies on the national economy to drive opportunities for growth, but for a developing country like the Philippines, this dependence is doubly crucial.
Manila’s challenges may be linked to urbanization, which influences economic factors like educational attainment, cost of living and poverty incidence, among others.
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Access to quality education significantly declines throughout the milestone years of formal education. In 2019, completion rate for primary education among Filipinos 25 and above estimated at 82.4%. This declines to 30.5% for secondary education and further drops for bachelor’s or equivalent degrees to 24.4%. Economic status presents a disparity in access to higher education, with 49% of the richest decile being able to pursue such educational attainment, in contrast to only 17% of the poorest decile2.
Despite urbanization challenges, 11 out of 18 regions had a significant decrease in poverty incidence between 2021 and 2023. Nonetheless, 2023 statistics remain significant at 10.9%, affecting 2.99 million Filipino families grappling for food, shelter and education, among other needs3. This ongoing struggle is further reflected in the decline in purchasing power in 2023, where all income households were at 0.87 centavos and 0.86 centavos for the bottom 30%4. This explains how an average Filipino is left with significantly limited resources to cover other essential expenses.
Everything is interconnected: lack of education leads to limited employment opportunities, and eventually, to salaries falling short for sustenance. Salaries shape an economy’s purchasing power. As it declines, access to needs like reliable internet connection, electricity, food and, circling back to education itself, is compromised. A fragile economy leads to insufficient transportation infrastructure, resulting in traffic congestion that interrupts various facets of life, such as rights to a better lifestyle, time management and well-being.
These economic pressures translate into environmental pressures. As poverty rises, the use of cheaper materials like plastic becomes prevalent, leading to increased pollution. The growing population catalyzes waste generation, which poses health risks and strains waste management systems. Insufficient infrastructure and resources due to increasing demand lead to exploitation of existing assets. For instance, urbanization urges construction of infrastructure, leading to loss of green open spaces and increased competition in transportation.
Exhaustion of resources like energy also enables global warming through carbon emissions, making it harder to regulate global temperature. Temperature rise is critical in a tropical country like the Philippines. As demand for cooling systems increases, energy consumption and emissions increase, creating a vicious cycle that exacerbates the country’s warming climate.
Taking it from the top cities
Manila’s struggle to excel in the Progress pillar and the core SCI index places it among the cities lacking momentum. To rise to the challenge, high-performing, sustainable cities and communities can be taken as inspiration.
Amsterdam’s top position and sustained momentum emanates from its 3 transition routes toward a sustainable city: energy, green and circular. With rising global temperatures in a city with an already high temperature, considering these transition routes is imperative. Similarly, Seoul manages to remain sustainable through urban planning and technology, making citizen welfare a priority through accessibility.
Despite having low core SCI rankings, Manila can learn from cities with early momentum, especially Asian countries that manage to progress even at the height of urbanization. Jakarta’s proactive urban disaster management strategies through building reservoirs and creating programs improving the water flow offer insightful parallels to Manila’s susceptibility to flooding. Then there is the Green Bangkok 2030 Project’s mission: to expand green spaces to 10 square meters per person, an ideal benchmark for improving environmental quality and social well-being. This is an exemplary model for Manila, where a growing population and expanding infrastructure have led to gradual loss of available green space.
Harnessing determination to improve
While collective action creates real impact, addressing some climate emergency angles goes beyond individual efforts and necessitates systemic and national policy changes. Arcadis has been building on a sustainable future in key cities around the world. However, for innovations like these to materialize in the Philippines, investing in sustainable urban planning , infrastructure and support from the government are key.
With underlying issues that need to be addressed, the role of the built environment in amplifying the urgency to create sustainable solutions becomes more crucial. As these issues continue to arise alongside the climate crisis, integrated approaches that address both short- and long-term needs must be highlighted to persuade policymakers in enabling sustainable development within the built environment to thrive, fostering a resilient and equitable future for all.
Source:
1United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN | United Nations. https://www.un.org/uk/desa/68-world-population-projected-live-urban-areas-2050-says-un
2Philippine Business for Education Inc. (2023). State of Philippine Education Report 2023.
PBEd. https://pbed.ph/blogs/47/PBEd/State%20of%20Philippine%20Education%20Report%202023
3Mapa, C. (2024, August 15). 11 out of 18 Regions Recorded Significant Decreases in Poverty Incidence in 2023. Philippine Statistics Authority. https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/poverty
4Philippine Institute for Development Studies. (2024, Jan 17.).
https://www.pids.gov.ph/details/news/in-the-news/2023-rate-hikes-impact-will-still-be-felt-pids
Kang, L. (2014, January 1). South Korea's Sustainable Urban Planning and Environmental Technology. Inquiries Journal. http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/844/south-koreas-sustainable-urban-planning-and-environmental-technology
Nurlambang, T. (2022, October 18). Sustainable development in the face of floods and rising sea levels: Jakarta case study. SDG Action. https://sdg-action.org/sustainable-development-in-the-face-of-floods-and-rising-sea-levels-jakarta-case-study%EF%BF%BC/
Connect with Katherine Ann Resurreccion for more information & questions.
Service Line Director – Sustainability Solutions
