For immediate release

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure unveils funding for the most vulnerable, new programme and initiatives at COP29

• Confirms $ 8m funding for SIDS and announces $ 2.5m for Cities
• Launching Mountain Resilience Programme, Playbook for financial institutions, and Report and guidelines on transport infrastructure resilience.
• New Delhi based Coalition hosting Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Pavillion

Baku, Azerbaijan, 11 Nov 2024: At COP29, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), comprising 40 countries and seven international organisations, will focus international attention on the urgent need for investments in Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (DRI), and announce funding and initiatives to support vulnerable countries and communities.

Announcements include $ 8 million worth of projects to support Small Island Developing States and a $ 2.5 million funding opportunity for cities focused on extreme heat and urban flooding. A new mountain programme, a Physical Climate Risk Assessment Playbook for financial institutions, a Report on resilience of transport infrastructure, and guidelines to safeguard transport practitioners against extreme heat will be launched in Baku. 

The Coalition will host a dedicated DRI pavilion at COP29.  36 sessions over the two weeks will bring together governments, the private sector, civil society, and academic experts. Discussions will demonstrate the benefits of resilient infrastructure to sustainable development, reducing disaster risks, and advancing climate action.

“When disasters strike lives are lost, essential services are disrupted, and repairs consume money that could have been used elsewhere.  Resilient infrastructure protects lives, helps those immediately affected, and supports a rapid recovery.  Financing is needed, which will be at the heart of discussions at COP29 in Baku, and that’s why CDRI is here providing a platform for Coalition members and partners to advocate, share, and ensure a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable future for all” said Amit Prothi, Director General, CDRI.

About CDRI:
Launched by Hon. Prime Minister of India at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in 2019, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and academia that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.

Background:

Launched at COP26, CDRI’s Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative empowers SIDS to strengthen their resilience against climate and disaster risks, through technical assistance, financial resources, and knowledge sharing.  A first cohort of funded projects worth $5.8 million is supporting 11 projects across 13 SIDS, including development of an early warning systems in Fiji and Dominican Republic; resilient housing in Dominica and Haiti; and health and coastal infrastructure in the Marshall Islands.  At COP29, CDRI will announce a further US$ 8 million of projects which will equip SIDS with the required technical support and knowledge products for promoting disaster resilient infrastructure.  The programme is supported by funding from Australia, India, the UK, and the EU.

CDRI’s Urban Infrastructure Resilience Programme is offering funding of $2.5 million to strengthen infrastructure resilience in cities across Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs).  The funding call, which is inviting proposals from cities in 30 CDRI member countries, and which is open until December will support informed infrastructure investments in eligible cities.  

CDRI new Mountain Resilience Programme addresses the unique challenges of infrastructure resilience faced by mountainous areas. The programme will enable multi-hazard risk-informed decision making, build capacity for risk-informed policies, harmonize indigenous and eco-based approaches, and drive collective action for resilience.

In collaboration with Dalberg Advisors and supported by Rockefeller Foundation, CDRI has developed a ‘Physical Climate Risk Assessment Playbook’ for financial institutions.  This Playbook provides FIs with a process to better assess and navigate physical climate risks into investment decisions and reporting practices.

CDRI and BCG have collaborated on a new report, 'Transport Infrastructure Reimagined: Forging Resilient Connections’, which lays out a framework to guide resilience action in South Asia’s transport infrastructure.

CDRI’s Guidelines for Public Transport Practitioners aims to provide practitioners with practical strategies to safeguard public transport infrastructure and passengers from extreme heat-related risks.

For further queries, please contact:

Mallika Srinivasan | (M): +91 9818094372 | mallika.srinivasan@cdri.world

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