CDRI is an international organisation set up by the government of India to provide leadership on the topic of disaster resilient infrastructure. In an exclusive interview with Financial Express Online, Amit Prothi, Director General, CDRI – Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, talks about various programmes organised by the steering committee, the establishment, functioning of SIDS and IRIS and also the nature-based infrastructure solutions. Excerpt:

Q: What is CDRI? How does it function?

Ans: CDRI – Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure is an international organisation, established by the government of India. It is a 31 member country, which is going to become 35 in the next few weeks. The focus is on disaster resilient infrastructure. We make sure the infrastructure does not fail during the moment of crisis. These crises mainly are natural events that could be exacerbated by climate change. CDRI is an organisation trying to promote the agenda of DRI (Disaster Resilient Infrastructure) through 3 pathways.
a) Advocacy
b) Capacity building
c) Technical assistance

Q: As it is mentioned before, IRIS is a dedicated initiative to achieve sustainable development in SIDS through a systematic approach towards resilient, sustainable and inclusive infrastructure. So, what key strategies and actions are being implemented to achieve these sustainable development goals within these vulnerable regions?

Ans: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face a high susceptibility to climate change and extreme weather events, including challenges such as rising sea levels, coastal flooding and erosion, tsunamis, and storm surges. These islands often grapple with developmental obstacles that hinder their economic growth. These issues include their remote locations from global markets, poor connectivity, absence of economies of scale, limited labour mobility, a combination of low development levels with rapid population growth, and a limited capacity for adaptation.

Their geographical positioning and natural resources present unique opportunities for the expansion of eco-tourism, fisheries, and forestry sectors, among others. Capitalising on these opportunities necessitates substantial investments in infrastructure, especially in key areas like transportation, energy, housing, tourism, water supply, sanitation, and coastal protection. Recognising the imperative need for infrastructure investments and the long-term advantages they can bring, it is crucial for SIDS to tackle their disaster and climate risks while embracing a resilient approach to sustainable development.

Infrastructure in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is at much greater risk compared to other countries. They may have only one airport or may have only one road to connect. Because of their unique geographies, the infrastructure is prone to failure.

Q: Tackling SIDS is a major concern because these regions are vulnerable to disasters both climate related and also through other natural hazards. How far is CDRI able to support them?

Ans: CDRI has established a programme for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is supporting 13 countries now. Looking for better housing, to see these houses designed to withstand the new cyclonic patterns that are emerging because of climate change. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has been collaborating closely with its members, including Australia, the European Union, India, the United Kingdom, and representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to jointly create the “Infrastructure for Resilient Island States” (IRIS) initiative. This initiative was launched at the World Leaders Summit during COP26 and is dedicated to advancing sustainable development by taking a comprehensive approach to foster resilient, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure in SIDS. It is a multi year facility and has got $40 million to provide the technical assistance.

IRIS has the primary objective of offering technical assistance in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by infrastructure systems while promoting resilience to disasters and climate change in infrastructure assets within SIDS. The ultimate aim of IRIS is to make a direct and meaningful contribution to the SAMOA Pathway, which focuses on accelerating actions and modalities for the sustainable development of Small Island Developing States.

Australia, the European Union, India, the United Kingdom are the four primary funders of this programme and also receiving technical assistance from United States, France and amongst  other coalition members.

Q: How the coalition members decide for the next agenda and what are the key areas that they focus on?

Ans: There is a IRIS steering committee that has been set up. It has a combination of funders, it has CDRI, representation from SIDS. It has about 12 committee members that evaluate what proposals come, that make decisions on what gets supported, they are basically the advisory group. They meet as in when needed. The steering committee is responsible to oversee all of these programmes.

CDRI has 2 layers of governance. Highest layer is the governing council that has all members represented, co-chaired by India and US. India is always the permanent co-chair and the US is the rotating co-chair. Every 2 year there is a rotating co-chair. Right now it is the US before that it was the UK.

Second layer is the executive committee, which has 10 members. They are the decision makers. Governing council decides on the budget and programme.

Q: What are nature-based infrastructure solutions?

Ans: Nature-based infrastructure solutions, also known as green or natural infrastructure, refer to the use of natural systems and ecological processes to address various environmental and infrastructure challenges. These solutions leverage the inherent capabilities of ecosystems to provide a wide range of services, such as flood control, water purification, coastal protection, and biodiversity conservation. Nature-based infrastructure includes projects and strategies that incorporate or mimic natural features to enhance resilience and sustainability. Here are two examples:

a) Use of mangroves instead of sea walls. Mangroves can help break down the wave actions. The speed of waves can be broken if you have a mangrove which is a natural barrier along the coastline. So the damage on the coast will be much less.

b) If we do not use a concrete drain then use of parks can be helpful in terms of flooding. While it is raining, the water can be directed to the parks.

All of these are nature-based infrastructure solutions and not hard concrete or hard infrastructure and it is functioning in a way where the risk of disaster is reduced.

Q: In India which states need more such focus.

Ans: In India, we have states like Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat. In Orissa, CDRI understands the risk of cyclones and how it affects the power sector. Looking at the budgets in several states. If a disaster happens, the budget sufficiently has the capacity to bounce back. CDRI is closely looking at disaster risk financing. Also, looking at the telecommunication sector.

Q: What are the key strategies and measures that airports should prioritize in order to enhance their disaster resilience capacity and ensure the protection of assets, continuous operability, and business continuity in the face of present and future challenges?

Ans: Airports that conduct regular vulnerability assessments tend to anticipate lower organizational impact compared to those that do not engage in this practice. Approximately 71.6% of airports have undergone vulnerability assessments for their infrastructure, with many doing so periodically. Among those conducting these assessments on a regular basis, 55.3% perform yearly assessments, while 27.7% conduct assessments every 2 to 5 years. The most critical elements evaluated in these vulnerability assessments are as follows: (1) personnel and passenger infrastructure, (2) civil structures and installations, and (3) the reliability of operations.

Within these assessments, the highest priority is assigned to critical assets such as runways, terminals, and communication systems. A majority of participating airports have implemented mitigation or recovery measures for these assets. Conversely, airport access links are considered highly vulnerable assets. Airports often face challenges in developing mitigation or recovery measures for these links because they typically fall outside airport jurisdiction, necessitating extensive collaboration with multiple regional stakeholders.

Current airport risk and resilience practices predominantly include a limited range of operational and financial measures. Efforts to enhance resilience and protect critical assets primarily focus on organisational and infrastructure-related measures.