Article
Concerted E orts in Smart Cities in Spearheading the SDG4
By Ts. Farah Abu Bakar Industry Development Division, MIGHT
Kuala Lumpur is ranked at 54th posi�on out of 109 global ci�es studied. Here, a ‘smart city’ con�nues to be defined as an urban se�ng that applies technology to enhance the benefits and diminish the shortcomings of urbaniza�on for its ci�zens. Undeniably, the fabric of smart ci�es development is being extensively woven by advancement of technologies. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), also known as The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched by The United Na�ons back in 2015. It comprises of seventeen (17) Goals that require ac�ons of all countries regardless of their economic status in rela�on to the sustainability agenda. The Fourth Goal, SDG4: Quality Educa�on looks at “Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality educa�on and promote lifelong learning opportuni�es for all” and made up of ten (10) targets in achieving the ul�mate goal. Prior to Covid19, the progress in achieving SDG4 was too slow and it was projected that circa 200million students will s�ll be out of school by 2030. However,
the pandemic has exacerbated the inequali�es faced in educa�on. Therefore, concerted efforts and involvement at community level are indeed necessary in closing this divide. Smart ci�es have been demonstra�ng a growing trend around the world. According to IMD’s Smart City Index (SCI) 2020, below is the top ten (10) Smart Ci�es:
1. Singapore 2. Helsinki 3. Zurich 4. Auckland 5. Oslo
6. Copenhagen 7. Geneva 8. Taipei City 9. Amsterdam 10. New York
The Fourth Industrial Revolu�on (4IR) has propelled its growth via the emerging technologies that further ini�ated digital reforms of governments and industries alike. The COVID-19 pandemic which has taken the world by storm has elevated the importance of digital technologies which is one of the 2021 priori�es outlined by United Na�ons as below:
Righ�ully so. In the Malaysian context, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government has defined smart city as 'a city that uses ICT and technology and innova�on advances to address urban issues including to improve the quality of life, promote economic growth, develop sustainable and safe environment and encourage efficient urban management prac�ces’. Smart city
Malaysia aims at addressing urban issues and challenges towards achieving then three main pillars of compe��ve economy, sustainable environment and enhanced quality of life. Via the Malaysia Smart City framework, there are seven (7) major components of smart city Malaysia, including Smart Digital Infrastructure.
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