Asian cities face environmental challenges, Singapore tops rankings for resilience: Tokyo Marine

According to The Resilient Cities Index 2023 launched by Tokyo Marine Group and Economist Impact, Singapore has emerged as the world’s Asian city for overall resilience in the face of increasing environmental challenges, ranking 4th out of 25 major cities worldwide.

Funded by the Tokyo Marine Group, the study highlights the critical concern of environmental resilience in major Asian cities.

As rapid urbanization intensifies, two-thirds of the world’s population is projected to live in cities by 2050, making the emerging threats to urban centers more pressing than ever.

The research underscores the vulnerability of cities in the Asia-Pacific region to climate change due to geographic factors and exposure to natural disasters.

Cities such as Bangkok, Dhaka and Jakarta have been identified as the most vulnerable to flooding, while New Delhi and Jakarta face the highest risks from heat stress.

The Code emphasizes the need for holistic resilience thinking at the community and municipal levels, involving stakeholders from government, businesses and communities.

Along with Asian cities such as Hong Kong, New Delhi, Shanghai and Tokyo, Singapore’s success in disaster management is highlighted.

However, weaknesses in digital infrastructure and transport within the critical infrastructure pillar reveal areas that require strategic attention.

Max Hirai, CEO of Tokyo Marine Asia, stressed the need for Asia to take environmental changes seriously to reduce the risks its cities face.

He emphasized the increasing frequency and devastating consequences of extreme weather events, calling for comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation measures.

Pavlos Spyropoulos, Asia Pacific Regional Managing Director of Tokyo Marine Kiln, emphasized the importance of public and private sector collaboration to address the increased vulnerability of Asian cities to natural disasters.

Specialist insurers such as Tokyo Marine are poised to provide solutions to mitigate complex risks, including supporting the development of digital infrastructure and developing new products for flexible supply chains.