By Juliet ETEFE, New Delhi, India
In the phase of escalating climate risks, building resilience must be strengthened through comprehensive, multi-level engagement, Senior Director at the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), India, Ramraj Narasimhan has said.
This, Mr. Narasimhan explained spans collaboration with governments, organisations, and communities while fostering knowledge-sharing to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change across sectors.
Mr. Narasimhan also urged a “whole-of-society” approach to enhance resilience against natural disasters, emphasising that resilience-building efforts cannot rely solely on individual entities or government.
“Addressing resilience is not a short-term endeavor,” Narasimhan stated, stressing that it requires a comprehensive, unified effort involving diverse stakeholders.
“We cannot pinpoint a particular ministry or department solely responsible for resilience. The resilience of any country depends on the engagement of the entire society—government, private sector, and the community at large,” the senior director emphasised, adding that achieving meaningful progress requires commitment on all levels.
He made these remarks while speaking to journalists from Central and West African countries who were in India for a familiarisation programme.
“As people who convey, create, and amplify messages, you have a significant role in sharing not only the urgency of addressing resilience but also in amplifying the successes and lessons that have worked,” he told the journalists, urging greater visibility of achievements in disaster resilience.
By sharing successful initiatives, Mr. Narasimhan believes countries can draw valuable insights and inspiration from each other to face similar challenges.
Global Partnerships
The Senior Director also emphasised the importance of a global coalition in building resilient infrastructure to mitigate disaster impacts.
He urged more countries, especially from Africa, to join CDRI’s growing network of over 40 member countries and seven international organizations, citing the coalition’s role in knowledge sharing, research, and technical assistance.
By promoting disaster-resilient infrastructure, CDRI aims to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the durability of communities globally, especially in high-risk areas.
He noted that CDRI supports member countries in integrating resilience measures into their infrastructure planning, helping them address potential disaster risks and improve infrastructure durability.
“Our goal is to bridge infrastructure deficits through collaborative resilience efforts,” he said.
He further added that CDRI supports critical infrastructure sectors—such as roads, telecommunications, power, and health—through knowledge management, technical assistance, and project support.
As an example, he pointed to Nepal’s reconstruction efforts following a devastating earthquake, where the government implemented inclusive policies for the disabled, landless, and marginalised communities. This model, he said, could guide other nations in tailoring disaster responses to diverse populations.
CDRI
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, United Nations agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
