Newsletter June 2025
Making the case for DRI
CDRI Director General Amit Prothi joined CNN News18’s The Breakfast Club with Srishti Choudhary from Nice, France, to discuss the Ten-Point Agenda for SIDS and coastal regions released ahead of ICDRI 2025, emphasizing stronger building codes, data-driven early warning systems, and accessible finance to advance resilient infrastructure.
Building the Coalition
Building the Coalition
Since April, we have welcomed Colombia, Kenya, Guinea, and the African Union Commission to the Coalition. Our membership now stands at 54. All have endorsed the CDRI Charter, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening global disaster resilient infrastructure through collaborative, forward-looking action.
Leading global conversations on DRI
ICDRI 2025: Advancing coastal resilience
In June, ICDRI 2025 in Nice, France, gathered 220 stakeholders from 52 countries to advance disaster resilient infrastructure, listen to and learn from SIDS and coastal communities, and agree on future collaboration. The Conference was opened by a video message from the Prime Minister of India, along with messages from the Heads of State and Government of Guyana, Nauru, Antigua & Barbuda, and Haiti.
Advancing resilient transport systems in Latin America
The Coalition’s first regional workshop for Latin America was hosted in Brasília and gathered 200+ experts to discuss strengthening transport infrastructure resilience through peer learning, GIRI insights, and regional cooperation. The three-day workshop covered climate and disaster adaptation across ports, airports, roads, and railways.
Strengthening global commitments towards DRI
At the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, CDRI engaged with three regional sessions spotlighting resilient infrastructure. Key themes that emerged from these conversations were the need for data-driven governance, inclusive design, climate-smart investments, and regional partnerships.
Champions of DRI
Champions of DRI
Urmi Goswami, Assistant Editor at The Economic Times, and Anne Tezenas du Montcel, a journalist based in Paris, France, speak on the growing importance of disaster resilient infrastructure.
Promoting risk-informed policy and practice
Fellowship awardees
CDRI’s 2025–26 Fellowship Programme drew 174 applicants from across 21 Member countries. After rigorous evaluation, 20 projects were chosen. The initiative will disperse $320,000 in funding to support fellows in driving innovation and strengthening disaster resilient, sustainable infrastructure across global communities.
A workshop on nature-based infrastructure solutions (NbIS)
The NbIS workshop in June 2025 in Shimla brought together 110+ participants and 7 organizations to promote nature-based infrastructure solutions for landslide risk mitigation. Through sessions and fieldwork, it fostered collaboration, regional learning, and practical integration of NbIS in hilly road infrastructure design.
Lessons in resilience
As part of a series of DRI Dialogues on learnings from disasters, global experts explored the impact and recovery from Hurricane Beryl, and emphasized resilient infrastructure, regional cooperation, stress testing, real-time data systems, and public readiness to strengthen disaster response and economic stability in vulnerable Caribbean regions.
Enhancing capacities to impact DRI & post-disaster recovery
Empowering urban resilience across 16 cities in South Asia and Latin America
Sixteen cities across Brazil, Bhutan, Honduras, Sri Lanka, and India will receive US$2.47 million under the Urban Infrastructure Resilience Programme to strengthen their capacity against the evolving climate risks. These projects will benefit 2.9 million, saving US$91 million and influencing US$161 million in infrastructure investments.
Advancing infrastructure resilience in Madagascar
Responding to a request from the government, CDRI’s mission to Madagascar in April focused on power and telecom resilience, highlighting urgent needs for policy reforms, capacity building, global best practices, and risk management tools, through broad stakeholder engagement to address climate-related infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Building resilience in Haiti: Impact of an IRIS project
CDRI is supporting Haiti in updating its National Building Code to enhance disaster preparedness. Incorporating seismic and cyclone resilience, accessibility, WASH, and local practices, the revised code aims to safeguard vulnerable communities, particularly in informal settlements, and strengthen national resilience.
Viewpoint
Staff testimonial
Andres Cruz, Senior Specialist, IRIS, offers valuable insights from Barbados on efforts to enhance resilience in the Caribbean.