KUWAIT: Kuwait City has ranked last in environmental security among 60 cities surveyed in the 'Safe Cities Index 2021' report, released recently by The Economist Intelligence Unit. Kuwait managed a score of only 22 out of 100 in environmental security, and is the only city in the list with a 'Low' score in this category, designated for cities with scores between zero and 25.

The report is based on the fourth iteration of the index, which ranks 60 cities across 76 indicators covering digital, health, infrastructure, personal and environmental security. Environmental security considers how the city has incorporated sustainability parameters into its urban planning to reduce carbon emissions and manage climate risks.

It takes account of policy inputs aimed at improving the health of the natural and physical environment in urban areas, where many have witnessed severe deterioration in recent years. Input indicators in this domain look at the city's sustainability master plan and market incentives for renewable energy sources. Output indicators include urban tree cover and the rate of water stress in cities.

"With the growing importance of sustainable development, particularly in urban areas, we decided to include environmental security as a stand-alone category in the index for this year," the report reads. "In prior editions of the index, sustainability-related indicators were distributed across the index. However, given the growing attention to sustainability by city planners and policy makers, we decided to cut this out into a separate stand-alone category by itself. The focus on environmental sustainability in cities has become an important factor in urban safety."

Kuwait ranks 53rd overall in the index. Its highest rank came in the health security category where it placed 27th, followed by personal security (37th), infrastructure security (51st) and digital security (54th). The 'best health' indicator ranks cities with a score of 75.1-100 as 'Very high', 50.1-75 as 'High' and 25.1-50 as 'Medium'.