Why is it in the News?

Countries must build “resilient infrastructure” against natural disasters that are becoming more frequent and severe, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.

About the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):

• The Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a global partnership comprising national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks, private sector entities, and academic institutions.
• Established during the United Nations Climate Action Summit in 2019 in New York, CDRI is dedicated to addressing the challenges associated with building resilience in infrastructure systems and development processes.

Objectives:

• CDRI aims to enhance the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby promoting sustainable development.
• It seeks to expedite the development and retrofitting of resilient infrastructure to meet the imperatives of the Sustainable Development Goals, including universal access to basic services and fostering prosperity and decent work.
• Serving as an inclusive multi-stakeholder platform, CDRI is led and managed by national governments. It facilitates the exchange of knowledge on various aspects of infrastructure resilience.
• CDRI brings together diverse stakeholders to create mechanisms assisting countries in upgrading their capacities, systems, standards, regulations, and practices related to infrastructure development, tailored to their risk contexts and economic needs.

Membership:

• Since its inception, 39 countries, 7 international organizations, and 2 private sector organizations joined as members.
• International organizations include:
  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  • World Bank Group
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
  • European Union
  • European Investment Bank, and
  • The Private Sector Alliance for Disaster-Resilient Societies (ARISE)
• The CDRI is the second major coalition launched by India outside of the UN, the first being the International Solar Alliance.

Secretariat:

• CDRI's secretariat is based in New Delhi, India.