As cities strive to tackle climate change, the paradigms being forged in developing nations will be different from the established norms, according to Peter Herweck, CEO of the technology company Aveva Group in an article for the World Economic Forum. He highlights that smart cities will be key in this development – especially as the most recent IPCC report highlighted that almost 90 per cent of the urban population increase by 2050 will occur in Asia and Africa.
Herweck cites as an example India’s PCMC, which is part of the Indian government’s smart cities programme. “Smart systems including AVEVA’s unified operations centre have helped to cut pollution by 12 per cent by reducing traffic waiting times, and optimising water leakage, cutting water lost from the sewerage system by 25 per cent,” he writes. Herweck also mentions Aquapolo, Brazil’s largest water recycling authority, which has increased operational efficiency by 15 per cent by taking a digital approach to process optimization using software in water purification plants.
However, integrating complex networks can be difficult, according to the article. By harnessing the power of data in context and enhancing it with artificial intelligence and human insight, writes Herweck, industries can drive higher efficiencies, reduce carbon and optimize performance.
Ultimately, according to the author, “empowering people is the heart of the vision for smart cities”. He explains that by bringing teams together using shared data and insight, civic authorities can access better decision-making. “In empowering people to succeed, our prize will be higher growth for our lower carbon world,” he concludes.
