Global Global Integrated Approach Pilot (IAP) on Sustainable Cities
What is Sustainable City?
Smart Cities (High adoption of ICT as Enabler) 02
Source: The World bank and MiGHT
Cities of Tomorrow:
Empowering Malaysian Communities Towards Sustainable Future
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National
MiGHTY Mission
Setting City Framework for National Alignment
I We have to really preserve the identity from our rich culture to rise with the technologies. What is the use of having all these advanced high-tech facilities and infrastructures if we lose our identity?” - Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman President & Chief Executive, Malaysian IndustryGoverment Group for High Technology (MiGHT).
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n response to the global call for sustainable cities, the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) endeavours to accelerate the readiness of Malaysian cities to become more sustainable from the perspective of economic, environmental and social. Science to Action (S2A) was launched in November 2013 by Hon. Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, parallel to the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme. This national initiative was the ideation of the Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Professor Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, with the intention to sustain the growth and development beyond the year 2020 with the diffusion of science into three pillars – governance, wellbeing and industry development. The initiative was established with the purpose of elevating the importance of science, technology and innovation in government policy planning and implementation. To implement this important initiative, MIGHT acts as the implementation agency. One of
the flagship initiatives under the Science for Wellbeing is addressing Urbanisation and Climate Change in Cities. Sustainability and equity which fall under the Science for Wellbeing is a key focus of S2A. In this initiative, science is applied to ensure the sustainability not only for humans but also nature and modernisation. This is to ensure a balanced growth between economic and sustainability. MIGHT President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman says “we are not only looking to focus on high-tech facilities exclusively. We are also concentrating on fitting in the soft elements such as promoting social interaction and for the people to keep in touch with their cultural sides. Humans are beings of social. We need to interact. How we improve our interaction for greater impact is where the critical role of technology is.” “We can’t blindly follow the successful sustainable city models from the developed country for the cultural differences that we have”. In this initiative, MIGHT has been very careful not to potentially destroy or harm any heritage sites among the other religious and cultural symbols. The spiritual elements are not forgotten in creating sustainable economy and equity. “We have to really preserve the identity from our rich culture to rise with the technologies. What is the use of having all these advanced high-tech facilities and infrastructures if it leads to losing our identity?” asks Dr Mohd Yusoff. In its focus, MIGHT has created a smart city framework where everything is integrated into a single and centralised control. Through big data analytics, patterns and trends over city activities/facilitates, the creation for smart solutions such as transportation to consider the citizens’ schedule while shutting down the facility when not in use for cost effectiveness and energy saving. When all is said and done, the sustainability project in Malacca still lacks the backbone required to move into the next level of sustainability. MIGHT has progressed efforts in linking industry and city authorities in Malacca to collaborate towards making the historical city of Malacca greener, smarter and sustainable.
Working towards a greener city According to Dr Mohd Yusoff, the most important thing in implementing sustainability in cities is through careful planning, systemisation and connectivity. The connectivity between the global, national and local levels is what strengthens the ability of MIGHT’s effort to promote sustainable cities in the country. “The global initiative for greener and more sustainable cities was first done by GEF and UNIDO. Then it was put into motion through the Sustainable Development Goals 2016 – 2030 incorporating various other initiatives.”
11th Malaysian Plan 2016 – 2020 has a focus on city agenda The Malaysian government had included in its 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK 11) ways to tackle various economic issues coupled with the country’s wellbeing. Within the
Cities of Tomorrow:
Empowering Malaysian Communities Towards Sustainable Future
City Framework
Source: MiGHT , 2016 issues to be addressed is to pursue green growth for sustainability and resilience. “Here is where the connection happens between the global level (Global Development Goals) and the national level (RMK 11),” says Dr Mohd Yusoff. The RMK 11 has four major factors within the green growth target. The key task is to strengthen the enabling environment for green growth. This envelops strengthening governance to drive transformation, enhancing awareness to create shared responsibility, and to establish sustainable financing mechanisms. The second is to adopt the sustainable consumption and production approach. This can be done by creating green markets, increasing share of renewables in energy mix, enhancing demand side management (DSM), encouraging low carbon mobility and managing waste holistically. The third constitutes the conservation of natural resources for present and future generations. This can be achieved by ensuring natural resources security and enhancing alternative livelihood for indigenous and local communities. And finally it elaborates the need to strengthen resilience against climate change and natural disasters. This is achievable through the strengthening of disaster risk management, improving flood mitigation and enhancing and adopting climate change adaptation. These four targets set within RMK 11 become the base of MIGHT’s initiative in developing sustainability cities in Malaysia. With the targets set by RMK 11, MIGHT had inaugurated a demonstration project in Malacca as a way to test and exhibit how a sustainable city could be implemented and operated. Dr Mohd Yusoff says “the demonstration project in Malacca is how we implement the initiative at a local level.” Dr Mohd Yusoff had reportedly said, “Working with cities allows us to attack the drivers of environmental
degradation in an integrated way. The development of sustainable cities will demonstrate how innovation and high-impact investments can contribute to a sustainable management of cities.”
City framework A city can be considered as a complex living organism with multiple forms and contents. It is driven by three key pillars of sustainable development, namely economics, environment and social. City governance is equally important in efficiently managing city functions and measuring city performance. With its complexities involving multiple content and stakeholders, a city needs a systemised framework as a tool to align, coordinate and synergised initiatives by various stakeholders for best impact to the city communities. With framework, cities are able to assess their needs and areas to prioritise, as well as map out efforts carried out to date and new areas to embark into in order to improve the cities’ attractiveness and competitiveness. A city developmental masterplan can be subsequently established, guided by the framework and focus areas for specific cities. The framework also guide cities to address new areas to support community needs such as mobility, green tourism, biodegradable, disaster management, open data policy and green governance. City also produces big data which can be captured, integrated and through analytics, its potentials can be unlocked The integration of city systems through infostructure will flourish the growth of cities through innovation, citizen-centric solutions, industry investments and, most importantly, significant reduction in green house gas (GHG) emissions. The success of cities in navigating into sustainable future lies in their leadership, being community-centric and intense partnership with the private sector to support the delivery of their cities’ masterplans.
City also produces big data which can be captured, integrated and through analytics, its potentials can be unlocked The integration of city systems through info-structure will flourish the growth of cities through innovation, citizen-centric solutions, industry investments and, most importantly, significant reduction in green house gas (GHG) emissions. 05
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Local
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Cities of Tomorrow:
Empowering Malaysian Communities Towards Sustainable Future
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Industry
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Cities of Tomorrow:
Empowering Malaysian Communities Towards Sustainable Future
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