5 ways to boost well-being through sustainable urban development

Globally around 54% of people live in urban areas and this proportion is projected to increase, in particular in developing countries. Ensuring planned and equitable urban growth is therefore a prerequisite for sustainable development. In order for the urbanisation processes to benefit urban populations and the society as a whole, we suggest a number of policy areas and initiatives, which should be considered in order to support sustainable urban development.

First, context specific policy frameworks are needed and should be accompanied by mobilisation of resources at the national and regional levels. Such frameworks should be based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions in urban and peri-urban areas. Increased investments in rural development and creating livelihood options in rural areas is likely to lower migration induced pressure on cities. In this context, the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the specific targets on human settlements and cities, migration management and infrastructure are a welcome addition. In order to ensure spatial interlinkages, rural and urban development initiatives should focus on scaling up transportation, ITC and energy infrastructure.

Second, water and sanitation (WASH) and health infrastructure, especially in slums or informal settlements, require urgent upscaling. According to the 2014 Human Development in Asiareport, in Bangladesh, almost 62% of the urban population live in slums. In Nepal, 58% of urban population are slum dwellers, while in Pakistan 47% of urban residents live in slums. In poor urban areas limited access to safe drinking water and lack of waste management services contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, such as cholera. Nonexistence or poor quality of healthcare services further exacerbates the risks of ill health, thus contributing to higher mortality rates, including for mothers and infants. In this context, investments in WASH and health system should be amongst the key priories, not only from the public health perspective, but wider sustainable development targets.

Third, investments in human capital are critical when it comes to ensuring sustainable urbanisation. Children in poor urban areas tend to be disadvantaged in terms of access to schooling not only because of inadequate infrastructure, but also because they often contribute to housework, work for subsistence or have to take care of their siblings. Yet, innovative solutions exist for ensuring access to education amongst slum dwellers, such as organising evening classes, targeted vocational courses and creating the necessary infrastructure through in kind donations. All these initiatives should consider gender issues and target most vulnerable populations.

Forth, decentralisation and informatisation of administrative structures would facilitate good governance and effective management in the context of continuing urban sprawl. Decentralized governance involves local people in developmental activities, which is likely to increase the availability and efficacy of key urban services. Citizen centric e-governance would provide a necessary platform for active engagement of local communities. Empowering households and grass-root organisations would help to generate a sense of belongingness. Therefore, good governance with adequate transparency and accountability is a pre-requisite for sustainable urban development. Accountability and transparency can only be achieved through coordinated work between national and local governments and community organisations.

Finally, privatisation of basic services could provide access to basic amenities more easily and efficiently. The economic objectives of privatisation include employment opportunities and control over local resources. However, privatisation may also increase the cost of services, which would pose a risk to the poorest strata of the society; hence such approaches should be considered with care. All these policy areas and policy recommendations should be made a priority in different geographical contexts, where rapid urban growth is accompanied by rising wealth-based inequalities.

This article is published in collaboration with Global Policy Journal. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Sylvia Szabo, PhD is a Research Fellow in the Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton. She was previously an employee of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a Geneva based international financing institution. Rituparna Hajra is a Research Fellow and final year PhD Candidate in the School of Oceanographic Studies, Calcutta. Her current research focus on environmental and economic impacts on livelihoods in the Indian Sundarban Delta region.

Image: A boy touches a long wall lighted by colour rays at an exhibition hall. REUTERS/China Daily.