ISO 37123:2019 PDF

Overview

ISO 37123:2019, "Sustainable cities and communities - Indicators for resilient cities," defines standardized definitions and methodologies for a set of measurable indicators that assess urban resilience. Applicable to any city, municipality or local government, the standard enables comparable and verifiable measurement of resilience performance regardless of size or location. ISO 37123 is intended for use in conjunction with ISO 37120 (city service and quality-of-life indicators) and follows the strategic principles of ISO 37101.

Key technical topics and requirements

ISO 37123 structures resilience measurement around topic-specific indicators with clear requirements, recommended data sources and guidance on interpretation. Key technical areas covered include:

• Economy

  • Indicators such as historical disaster losses and average annual disaster losses as a percentage of city product
  • Insurance coverage metrics (percentage of properties insured for high‑risk hazards; insured value vs value at risk)
  • Employment concentration, informal employment share, and household disposable income

• Education

  • Percentage of schools teaching emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction
  • Population training in emergency preparedness
  • Educational disruption metrics and accessibility of emergency information in alternative languages

• Energy

  • Diversity of electricity sources contributing to total supply
  • Electricity supply capacity relative to peak demand
  • Share of critical facilities served by off‑grid energy services

• Environment and climate change

  • Urban heat island magnitude
  • Ecological evaluation of natural areas and ecosystem restoration coverage
  • Frequency of extreme events (rainfall, heat, cold, floods)

Each indicator includes: general intent, indicator requirements, suggested data sources and guidance on data interpretation to ensure consistent, verifiable reporting.

Practical applications and who uses it

ISO 37123 helps cities translate resilience goals into actionable, measurable results. Typical uses include:

• Baseline assessment and ongoing monitoring of urban resilience performance
• Benchmarking across cities for policy evaluation and peer comparison
• Prioritizing investments in disaster risk reduction, infrastructure and emergency preparedness
• Supporting funding proposals, insurance underwriting, and resilience certification programs
• Informing resilience-related public reporting and stakeholder communication

Primary users:

• City planners, local governments and resilience officers
• Emergency management agencies and public works departments
• Urban sustainability teams, NGOs and community organizations
• Insurers, investors and researchers focused on urban risk and climate adaptation

Related standards

• ISO 37120 - city indicators for services and quality of life (recommended companion)
• ISO 37101 - sustainable development in communities - management systems and strategic frameworks

Keywords: ISO 37123, resilient cities indicators, sustainable cities, urban resilience measurement, disaster risk reduction, ISO 37120, ISO 37101.