A proposed local sustainable development index: An application to cities of Davao Region, Philippines

Abstract

Michael Arieh P Medina

Aim: A proposed local sustainable development index (LSDI) is developed using 16 indicators which are locally available, internationally accepted, and coherent with national development goals. Methods: Indicator values were normalized using the Min-Max technique. Equal weighting and linear additive aggregation method was also done for the computation. The LSDI was then pilot tested to compare 6 cities in Davao Region, Philippines. The study was conducted in June, 2012. Results: The index revealed that Mati City has the highest LSDI score due to its high scores especially in terms of ecological indicators. On the other hand, the Island Garden City of Samal has the lowest LSDI score which is mainly attributed to its high poverty incidence as well as low scores in health and nutrition. Conclusions: Though the LSDI does not absolutely reflect the sustainability of cities, it can be helpful in identifying future development programs as it identifies weak and strong points of a city in comparison with other areas.