By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The world loses between $700 billion and $800 billion worth of infrastructure annually to natural disasters, the Director General of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Amit Prothi, has said.
Prothi disclosed this while addressing international journalists covering the BRICS meetings in New Delhi, stressing the urgent need for governments to strengthen infrastructure resilience as climate change increases the frequency and severity of disasters.
He said the estimated figure represented only direct infrastructure damage, while the broader economic cost was about seven times higher.
“On average, we lose about $700 to $800 billion of infrastructure every year. That’s only the direct damage. The economic cost of that damage is roughly seven times higher,” he said.
Prothi cited wildfires in Los Angeles, floods, earthquakes and cyclones in different parts of the world as examples of disasters causing growing damage to critical infrastructure and disrupting economic activities.
According to him, CDRI, which was launched by India at the United Nations in New York in 2019, has grown from 24 founding members to 70 members, with the Philippines expected to become the coalition’s 71st member.
The coalition brings together countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Pacific, alongside multilateral institutions, including the World Bank and regional development banks.
“The coalition was created to bring practices, knowledge and experiences together so that countries can better understand and address the growing complexities of disaster risks,” Prothi said.
He explained that India remains the permanent co-chair of the coalition, while the second co-chair rotates every two years. India and Brazil currently occupy the co-chair positions.
Prothi said CDRI does not directly finance infrastructure projects but works with governments to integrate resilience into the planning, design and development of infrastructure.
He described the coalition as “the chilli in the soup,” explaining that its role was to help countries ensure that roads, power systems, telecommunications and other infrastructure could withstand future climate and disaster risks.
He urged governments to review traditional infrastructure standards and building codes in response to changing climate patterns.
“You may not have experienced floods before, but patterns are changing. The question is how you prepare your infrastructure for those future risks,” he said.
He identified telecommunications, energy and transport as some of the critical infrastructure sectors requiring greater attention.
Recalling his experience during the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Prothi said the collapse of telecommunications infrastructure demonstrated the importance of resilient communication systems during disasters.
“I was in Kathmandu during the earthquake and could send a brief message to my family. Others couldn’t contact their loved ones because telecommunications infrastructure had broken down,” he said.
CDRI Supports BRICS, G20 Climate Agenda
Prothi said CDRI had become an active technical partner in major international platforms, including the G20, BRICS, COP climate conferences and United Nations initiatives.
He noted that during India’s G20 presidency, the coalition supported the establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilient Infrastructure Working Group, with the initiative continuing under Brazil’s presidency.
“As global conversations move increasingly toward adaptation and resilience, the relevance of disaster-resilient infrastructure is growing,” he said.
He also stressed that resilience should encompass not only disaster preparedness and prevention but also the speed at which affected countries recover and rebuild.
According to him, some countries recover from major disasters within relatively short periods, while others take more than a decade, resulting in prolonged disruption to communities and national economies.
“The speed of recovery matters. The longer it takes countries to rebuild, the greater the impact on communities and national economies,” he said.
He disclosed that discussions were ongoing on innovative financing mechanisms, including insurance and private-sector participation, to enable countries to mobilize reconstruction funds more quickly after disasters.
Data, AI to Drive Future Resilience
Prothi said CDRI had developed a global risk database to estimate infrastructure losses and help governments identify vulnerabilities across different sectors.
He noted that Brazil records average annual infrastructure losses of about $13 billion, while Africa’s losses were estimated at a similar level.
“Different infrastructure sectors face different risks. Power transmission systems, for example, may be highly vulnerable to cyclones, while buildings may face greater risks from earthquakes,” he said.
Looking ahead, he said CDRI would focus increasingly on Africa, small island developing states, mountain regions and cities, where climate and disaster risks were becoming more complex.
He also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence, satellite data and advanced modelling to improve early warning systems, risk assessment and disaster preparedness.
“There is an incredible amount of work under way on using data and predictive models. This will be one of the most important conversations over the coming years,” Prothi said.
He further called for greater participation by ASEAN countries in global resilience initiatives, noting that their experience in managing earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and other hazards could provide valuable lessons for other regions.
