Infrastructure is generally viewed only through the lens of necessity for a country or organization but is not a common concern for many, until they experience a sudden dearth of it. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the need to focus on managing systemic and cascading risks and strengthening resilience. A lesson to heed is to make headway against climate change as well. The COP26 Presidency outlines Adaptation and Resilience as one of its key priorities, thereby making COP26 an important global platform to build momentum on adaptation and resilience action and stimulating a dialogue on the need for resilient global infrastructure for underpinning this action.

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is leading diversified national and subnational projects and programmes aimed towards risk management and building disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. CDRI aims to bring resilient infrastructure to the forefront and center of the climate action and ensure investments to support progress towards achieving the 2030 Global Targets. With UK as COP26 Presidency and Co-Chair of CDRI, COP26 can be leveraged to advance the resilient infrastructure agenda in line with the Coalition's mandate. COP26 provides an international platform to engage with different stakeholders involved in addressing climate and disaster risks.

COP 26 is a global platform where CDRI will showcase its activities and sustained commitment to build momentum for resilient infrastructure development to an international audience. The objectives of CDRI’s engagement will be:

· Stimulate engagement on DRI with strategic partners and sector stakeholders

· Forge partnerships with diverse stakeholders on DRI

· Make CDRI a vehicle for getting governments to commit to integrate infrastructure resilience into their policies to achieving the adaptation goals

· Mainstream disaster resilient infrastructure as integral to climate mitigation and adaptation goals

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