Discover the secret of 5 smart developing cities
Devices being connected to everything and machines talking to us. Smart technology will take over in developed countries but what about developing countries?
Developing countries are facing severe challenges such as rapid population growth, climate change, disaster unpreparedness, heat waves, storms and flooding. For all these threats, NGOs try to pursue a sustainable infrastructure build-up right from the beginning as it is the best way to fight poverty in the long run and to ensure security for citizens. Especially, slum areas are a concern. They have to be upgraded and reconstructed in order to enable sustainable development. Thereby many NGOs have focused on certain measures as they are of particular importance like the conservation of scarce water resources.
Lima #1
Lima is known for its transportation, which was not always smart. In the past Lima’s transport system caused environmental and safety threats. Hundreds of buses and taxis, which were owned by private individuals lead to a chaotic urban transportation. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of the largely fragmented transport system a smart urban transportation system was planned by NGOs and the government. The City adopted a new Bus Rapid Transit and a metro line, which reduced the number of vehicles substantially.
Bangalore #2
As Bangalore alone is the home of one-third of the world’s poor, many NGOs draw their attention to India. NGOs are raising awareness about the significance of lakes. Furthermore, to enable sustainable growth in India, the development of power supplies, sewage systems, sanitation projects and the transportation in urban areas must be rearranged. The biggest issue, however, lies in wasted wastewater. Currently, approximately just 37% of India’s wastewater can be treated and that is what NGOs are trying to enhance. After having put pressure on the restructuring of wastewater management, Bangalore even won an UN award. Access to water enables the living of surrounding communities, such as farmers, who as a result ensure higher food security.
Nairobi #3
Kenya’s Capital has been elected as the most intelligent city in Africa by the Intelligent Community Forum because of its smart mobility. Around 300,000 citizens are providing data with the help of the app ma3route via twitter on different topics like traffic conditions, the behavior of police officers and even accidents can be reported. With this information the transportation planning can be observed and redesigned.
Cape Town #4
Another good example is South Africa. In Cape Town Governments and NGOs managed to reduce water use by 30% in spite of its population increase. The city adopted a two-pronged approach: persuading people to use alternatives with less water waste and a new technology which permits higher water efficiency. Furthermore, the city has pressured citizens to reduce wastage and improved the management of water meters, old pipes have been replaced, leak detection has been improved and extensive repairs have been accomplished.
Trained caretakers have been hired and are raising awareness about water conservation in 60 schools. Children and teenagers are learning from the cradle, the correct way to use water. Moreover, in order to reduce clean water usage, 95 parks and golf courses are irrigated with effluent water. The city now even put plans for a new dam on hold to ensure water security in the future. Even small changes like planting trees that provide habitat for animals and improve air help.
Buenos Aires #5
Buenos Aires launched an app, which harnesses information about issues that have been reported by citizens. For example, if a sidewalk is broken or a manhole is missing, they can just take a picture and the location of the spot is sent automatically to the ministry. The work will be resolved by the nearest person in charge. Afterwards a street inspector validates the resolved issue and sends again a picture to the ministry. Furthermore, the app makes possible to predict floods in certain areas with the help of collected data and sets off an alarm to ensure the security of citizens. The app allows the city to solve more issues with less effort.
All these mentioned successful examples make clear that cooperation between NGOs and governments must be strengthened in order to create more liveable communities. NGOs possess the very special asset of their proximity to locals. Due to their knowledge about issues locals are facing and their flexibility, compared to the government, they can be a sustainable help to the governments and countries.
References
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Gillan, A. (2006). Britons put work and fun before babies: ICM poll reveals changing attitudes behind UK’s low birthrate. The Guardian, 2 May [Online]. Available at: http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,,1765568,00.html
Book: Smart Cities as a Solution for Reducing Urban Waste and Pollution
https://www.thethirdpole.net/2017/05/15/rethinking-wastewater-management-in-india/
http://www.news24.com/Analysis/how-smart-meters-can-save-water-in-drought-ridden-cape-town-20170905
https://nairobiplanninginnovations.com/2016/05/11/how-nairobi-can-become-a-smart-city/
http://smartcity.deloitte.com/client_innovations/smart-cities-of-the-world-buenos-aires/
Keywords
Smart city, developing city, smart developing cities, India, Delhi, South Africa, Cape town, NGO, water conservation