Newsletter (March 2025)

Building the Coalition

Three countries joined CDRI in the first quarter of 2025- Chad, Ecuador, and New Zealand. This brings the Coalition’s membership to 50. All have endorsed the CDRI charter underpinning their commitment to advance DRI. We look forward to welcoming them to their first General Council meeting in May 2025.

Strengthening coastal resilience

ICDRI 2025 will be held in Nice, France, on June 7, with preparatory meetings on 6 June. The conference will focus on strengthening critical coastal infrastructure, to enhance resilience and protect communities. A ‘Call to Action,’ developed by global experts, will be launched sharing actionable recommendations on finance, technology, early warning systems, and resilience standards.

Lessons in resilience and future preparedness

On the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, CDRI convened a dialogue on strengthening resilience through stronger building codes, urban planning, and innovative solutions. Drawing lessons from Nepal’s recovery, experts stressed comprehensive Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, resilient housing, and technology-driven solutions to reduce risks.

Scaling up adaptation finance using taxonomies

Increasing climate volatility is causing serious financial impacts. Experts at this DRI dialogue emphasized the role of taxonomies in directing investments towards resilient infrastructure and highlighted the need for a well-structured project pipeline to effectively scale up adaptation finance.

H.E. Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, Nepal, and Bhutan

H.E. Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, Nepal, and Bhutan, highlighted the impact of rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of collaboration with CDRI to share best practices with members and strengthen the resilience of urban water systems.

Making urban mobility resilient

Reliable public transport can support economic growth and ensure access to opportunities for millions of people. CDRI’s Community of Practice for Extreme Heat Management in Public Transport Systems released a guidance document highlighting the impact of heat on mobility systems, offering actionable recommendations for governments to enhance the resilience of transit systems.

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Building a global network of future-ready infrastructure professionals

INTEC University and the National Emergency Commission of the Dominican Republic, with funding from CDRI’s Fellowship Programme, are developing an AI-driven simulator for more precise forecasting of climate emergency scenarios. This tool will help stakeholders mitigate risks, strengthen disaster preparedness, and enhance resilience against unforeseen climate challenges.

Building a shared understanding on DRI

It is crucial for policymakers, practitioners, and academicians to deepen their understanding of disasters and hazard ecosystems for faster and improved decision-making. A DRI Lexicon was released in April 2023 to foster a shared understanding. To advance the initiative and build people’s capacity further, an engaging e-learning module is set to launch soon. Stay tuned!

Advancing infrastructure resilience in Vietnam

At the request of the Vietnam’s Dykes and Disaster Management Agency, a CDRI mission visited Vietnam. Vietnamese officials shared insights on Typhoon Yagi’s impact on critical infrastructure and government’s resilience measures. As part of next steps, CDRI is exploring collaboration through Technical Assistance for the road and power sectors.

Using GIRI? Get featured in CDRI’s flagship report

The world’s first fully probabilistic risk model, Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI) is transforming how we assess risks to critical infrastructure. Have you used GIRI in your work? Share your experience at biennialreport@cdri.world and some of them will get featured in the 2nd Edition of CDRI’s Flagship Report on Global Infrastructure Resilience.

Strengthening resilient housing in Dominica

Dominica, the world’s fourth most disaster-prone nation, aims to become the first climate resilient country by 2030. Supported by CDRI, the ‘Data and Systems for Resilient Housing’ will help strengthen homes, protect communities, and safeguard livelihoods from future disasters. Read More to know about how we are contributing towards resilient housing.

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Five steps for boosting airport resilience

Over 10% of global airports are at risk of flooding from rising sea levels, which may only worsen due to climate change. Based on an analysis of 111 airports across 54 countries, CDRI’s Five Steps towards Resilience of Airports offers actionable strategies to minimize disruptions, reduce economic losses, and ensure uninterrupted operations amidst increasing climate threats.

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Global Infrastructure Resilience Survey- launching in April

CDRI and International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure are conducting a Global Survey on Experts and Professionals, to assess how infrastructure systems can withstand disasters and adapt to evolving risks. The survey seeks insights on country-level capacities in infrastructure resilience and will contribute to the Second Global Infrastructure Resilience Report. 

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Staff testimonial

Agathe Nougaret, International Technical Expert in Infrastructure, Climate Change, and Adaptation, who is on secondment to the CDRI Secretariat from the Government of France, speaks on her work.