Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the inaugural session of the fourth edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Details –

• He noted that the coalition has expanded and made valuable contributions. He mentioned the initiative on ‘Infrastructure for Resilient Island States‘ that was launched at COP-26 and CDRI’s work on Resilient Airports studying 150 airports around the world.
• The ‘Global Assessment of Disaster Resilience of Infrastructure Systems‘ that is being led by CDRI will help create global knowledge that would be immensely valuable.
• The Prime Minister said that in order to make our future resilient we have to work towards a ‘Resilient Infrastructure Transition’. Resilient infrastructure can also be the centrepiece of our wider adaptation efforts.

About the ‘International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’ –

• The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) is the annual conference of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
• It brings together member countries, organisations and institutions to strengthen the global discourse on disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
• In 2018 and 2019, the first and second International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure took place in New Delhi, India. ICDRI 2021 was hosted virtually. The fourth edition of ICDRI is being organised in partnership with the United States Government, from 4 to 6 May 2022 in New Delhi, in hybrid format.
• CDRI was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the 2019 UN Climate Summit.

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.