GEORGE TOWN, Penang’s two city councils, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), have been selected to join the global Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities).
State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said Penang is the second state to join R-Cities, with Melaka (Melaka City) being the first.
“R-Cities is a not-for-profit body led by global cities which harness knowledge, practices, partnerships and financing to empower cities and help them build a safe, equitable and sustainable future for all.
“R-Cities now has a membership of almost 100 cities and more than 40 countries worldwide. They include Bangkok, Jakarta, London, Melbourne, Nairobi, Rome and Singapore,” he said when winding up the debate on the state Budget 2024 in the Penang State Assembly here today.
He said the participation of MBPP and MBSP in R-Cities was important in efforts to transform the state and reduce its vulnerability to floods, water shortage, epidemics and traffic congestion, as well as problems related to waste management, ageing infrastructure and governance.
He said the state government would also be focusing on turning Penang Island and Seberang Perai into climate-resilient cities.
“Climate-resilient cities have the ability to absorb, recover and tackle future challenges in the economic, environmental and social spheres.
“Efforts to build resilient cities are important to ensure the cities of Penang Island and Seberang Perai are strong enough to resist ecological, economic and social disturbances and remain habitable and sustainable,” he said.
Zairil said present-day town planning no longer focuses only on the aspects of structure and infrastructure development but needs to encompass the key requirements for prosperity, social mobility and economic resilience.
The House will sit again tomorrow.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency