Manila has been named as one of the most unsafe cities in the world to live in, according to a study conducted by the London-based magazine The Economist.
Manila, the Philippines’ capital, ranked 55th out of 60 cities covered by the Safe Cities Index 2017. The study examines the digital, health, infrastructure, and personal security of the cities included in the survey.
Also in the bottom 10 are Cairo (Egypt), Tehran (Iran), Quito (Ecuador), Caracas (Venezuela), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Yangon (Myanmar) and Karachi (Pakistan).
According to the report, Manila placed at the lowest in nearly all 49 indicators used for the safe cities index and has topped the list in terms of “death due to the natural disasters.
In terms of digital security, Manila was second as the most dangerous next to Jakarta and fifth least safe in infrastructure security after Dhaka, Karachi, Yangon and Quito (Ecuador).
The Philippine capital also ranked 14th when it comes to deaths in vehicular incidents and 19th in frequency and severity of terrorist attacks.
“As cities grow in size the potential for catastrophic breakdowns will only increase, whether from the meltdown of a nuclear plant, a natural disaster or attacks from criminal networks or terrorist groups,” the report’s executive summary read.
“However, despite the growing risks, cities have plenty of tools at their disposal when it comes to increasing urban safety and security. Technology can enhance the efficiency of urban infrastructure and improve crime detection,” it added.
On the other hand, the safest city was named as Tokyo in Japan, followed by Singapore, and Osaka (Japan), Toronto (Canada), and Melbourne in Australia. Also in the top 10 are Amsterdam (Netherlands), Sydney (Australia), Stockholm (Sweden), Hong Kong (China) and Zurich (Switzerland).
“While cities generate economic activity, the security challenges they face expand and intensify as their populations rise. These include growing pressure on housing supply (prompting the spread of slums) and services such as healthcare, transport, and water and power infrastructure,” it read.
“Man-made risks are also growing. As tragic recent events in European cities such as London, Paris and Barcelona have demonstrated, high profile, wealthy urban centers are becoming targets for terrorist activities. And as income divides widen, growing inequalities can create tensions that contribute to violent outbursts such as the 2011 London riots,” the report added.