Nice (France), June 7 (IANS) Welcoming African Union as a new member of the New Delhi-headquartered Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday said that resilience must be anchored in the very foundations of development.

As the Co-Chair of the CDRI, Mishra, in his address to member countries and organisations at the Seventh International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) on the sidelines of the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice announced the African Union Commission is the newest member of the coalition.

He appreciated how 54 members have so far joined the CDRI and are bound by a common belief that resilience must be “embedded in the very foundations of development”.

Earlier this week, the African Union Commission hosted the regional consultation on the Africa common position for disaster risk reduction in Geneva in Switzerland.

Organised on the sidelines of the Global Platform 2025 for disaster risk reduction, the event brought together high-level delegations from African Union member states, regional economic communities and key development partners in a collaborative effort to refine and strengthen Africa’s stance ahead of the Global Platform for disaster risk reduction high-level segment.

The CDRI is a global coalition dedicated to enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks. With 46 member countries and eight partner organisations, it includes national governments, international organisations, and businesses collaborating to share knowledge, conduct research, and invest in disaster-resilient infrastructure.

Members benefit from access to global expertise, funding, technical support, research opportunities, innovative solutions, and international best practices.

Speaking on the occasion, CDRI Director General Amit Prothi said: “Coastal resilience is vital for protecting lives and economies. ICDRI 2025 unites global voices to inform action for vulnerable coastal communities and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Through our IRIS programme, we are supporting 24 projects across 25 SIDS, driving sustainable and inclusive infrastructure development.”

He said at the ICDRI, the 54-member global coalition has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing climate and disaster resilient infrastructure across Africa.

Other announcements include the awarding of research grants for 53 projects spanning 21 countries, as well as a call to action for accelerating infrastructure resilience in small island nations, emphasising the urgent need for global collaboration and investment.

With approximately 37 per cent of the global population residing within 100 km of the coast, contributing around $1.5 trillion to the annual global GDP, and 90 per cent of global goods transported by sea, strengthening coastal resilience is now a global priority.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

–IANS

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