Infrastructure systems are key drivers of economic growth. Going from 2016 to 2040, the Global Infrastructure Hub pegs the global annual infrastructure investment needs at USD 3.7 trillion per year. A large part of this infrastructure will inevitably be exposed to a range of natural hazards. With the increasing demands of a growing global population and unpredictable hazard patterns, the existing infrastructure will be put under additional stress and new infrastructure will be built in hazardous areas.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) highlights the role of improved disaster resilience of infrastructure as a cornerstone for sustainable development. The SFDRR includes four specific targets related to loss reduction: (1) Reduce global disaster mortality; (2) Reduce the number of affected people; (3) Reduce direct disaster economic loss; and (4) Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure. Target (4) on infrastructure is an important prerequisite to achieving the other loss reduction targets set out in the framework. Thus, there is a clear case for ensuring that all future infrastructure systems are resilient in the face of disasters in order to protect our investments.
The CDRI is a global partnership that aims to promote the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development. It seeks to rapidly expand the development and retrofit of resilient infrastructure to respond to the Sustainable Development Goals imperatives of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.
The Coalition functions as inclusive multi-stakeholder platform led and managed by national governments, where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster resilience of infrastructure. It brings together a multitude of stakeholders to create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities, systems, standards, regulations and practices with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs. Its success will be reflected in the quality of technical support it is able to provide, and the capacity development it is able to support for the development of disaster resilient infrastructure in the participating countries.
Climate and weather related hazards are likely to become more intense and frequent in many parts of the world. However, there is uncertainty with regards to specific manifestations at the local level. Dealing with these uncertainties is a common challenge for building both climate and disaster resilient infrastructure systems.
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