Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Taking forward the initiative of the India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently announced a 5-year program to establish early warning systems around the world.

What is the proposal?

The proposal calls for a $3.1 billion investment between 2023-27 to increase infrastructure and capacity in early warning systems. The above program was announced by the UN Secretary General at the ongoing COP27 climate change conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Need of early warning systems around the world –

• According to the WMO, nearly half of the world’s countries, the majority of which are least developed and small island states, lack early warning systems.
• Early warning systems save lives and give significant economic advantages. For example,
  • A mere 24 hours’ notice of an upcoming hazardous occurrence can reduce the resulting harm by 30%.
  • Spending roughly $800 million on early warning systems might save up to $ 3-16 billion in damages per year.
• CDRI proposed a similar concept last year, focusing mostly on small island states.
  • The program – Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS), was designed to assist in the establishment of early warning systems.

About CDRI –

• Launched in September 2019 by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi at the UN Climate Change Summit, the CDRI is an international collaborative platform involving the public and private sector, aiming to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is all about climate-proofing critical infrastructure in member countries. As of now, 26 countries including the United States, Germany, UK, Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Japan are members of the coalition.
• The coalition is supposed to serve as a ‘knowledge centre’ where member countries can share and learn best practices with respect to disaster-proofing infrastructure projects.
• The coalition will not create any new infrastructure but, instead, will work towards making existing and upcoming infrastructure in member countries more robust and resilient so that they can withstand climate disasters like floods, heat waves, cyclones, forest fires, rains and other such events.
• It aims at enhancing nationally and regionally appropriate standards, codes, specifications and guidelines for the planning, design, operation and maintenance of infrastructure systems.
• It also aims to enhance capacities and practices to reduce infrastructure damages and losses and consequent interruption of basic services and economic activity, from disasters and climate change.