Staff Reporter :
Multiple development works are continuing in different parts of the capital Dhaka to ensure the facilities for city dwellers, but when the question arises about the liveability of this city, the index shows poor rating.
As per the latest report of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2022 published on Thursday, Dhaka ranks seventh least liveable city from the bottom among 173 cities in the world.
Out of the 100 scores, Dhaka has received a score of only 39.2 while the score was 33.5 last year, the report said.
Though Dhaka has made an improvement in three spots this year compared to the ranking of last year when it ranked the fourth least libeable city in the world.
However, EIU reported that such improvement has been possible due to the lifting of the pandemic restrictions.
The ranking of the bottom ten cities out of 173 are Tehran 163, Douala 164, Harara 165, Dhaka 166, Port Morseby 167, Karachi 168, Algiers 169, Tripoli 170, Lagos 171 and Damascus 172.
However, Dhaka scored only 26.8 in terms of its infrastructure, placing it in the last among the bottom 10 cities.
Stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure are the five main factors that the EIU index considers.
In terms of stability, Dhaka scores 55 out of 100 while 29.2 in health, 40.5 in culture and environment, 41.7 in education.
The EIU said that the bottom ten cities in the rankings remain fairly stable, with none of the new cities dipping this low. As in previous surveys, living conditions remain worst in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
Wars, conflicts and terrorism are the biggest factors weighing down the ten lowest-ranked cities, of which seven are from the Middle East and Africa, it added.
The top ten of the rankings remains dominated by western European cities, along with several from Canada.
According to top ten countries, Vienna has ranked first position with the score 99.1, followed by Copenhagen with the score 98.1. Zurich and Calgary ranked third with the score 96.3, Vancouver ranked fifth with score 95.6, Frankfurt ranked seventh, Toronto eighth, Amsterdam ninth and Osaka and Melbourne tenth.
In general, mid-sized cities in the wealthiest countries tend to fare exceptionally well in the survey, EIU said.
EIU has added 33 new cities to the rankings, one-third of them in China.
For the past two years, EIU’s global liveability rankings have been largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and social distancing measures affecting scores for culture, education and healthcare in cities across the world.
EIU said that stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main charms for its inhabitants, supported by good healthcare and plenty of opportunities for culture and entertainment.
This sharp spike in inflation will put quality of life in many cities at risk, particularly if there are also interruptions to food and fuel supplies caused by the war in Ukraine, it added.
The report also said that either residents will be forced to pay much higher prices (making it harder to enjoy the culture and environment of their cities) or governments will take on more of the burden (which will risk their ability to provide high-quality public services).
Rising interest rates in most countries will also make borrowing and debt repayments more expensive, reducing consumer spending further.
Some businesses, including hotels and restaurants already weakened by the pandemic, may not survive, reducing liveability further.
The war in Ukraine and covid restrictions will continue to affect cities’ liveability over the next year, EIU said.
