The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) announced a $2.5 million funding initiative on September 24, in New Delhi. This initiative aims to enhance urban infrastructure resilience in 30 low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The funding will benefit five cities facing critical challenges such as extreme heat, flooding, and water scarcity, which threaten urban populations and essential infrastructure.

The initiative is part of CDRI's Urban Infrastructure Resilience Programme, which focuses on four key infrastructure sectors: energy, transportation, social infrastructure, and water systems. The programme’s goal is to ensure that both new and existing infrastructure investments incorporate climate and disaster resilience strategies.

CDRI Director General Amit Prothi highlighted the programme’s significance. He said, "this $2.5 million funding will support cities most at risk from extreme heat, flooding, and water scarcity, equipping them with the data and tools necessary to embed resilience into infrastructure design, operation, and maintenance."

The programme will employ data-driven decision-making to enhance urban infrastructure design and operations, helping cities withstand shocks and stresses related to urbanisation and climate change. The overarching objective is to promote urban liveability by ensuring that critical infrastructure is resilient to climate and disaster risks.

CDRI, launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN Climate Action Summit, is a global partnership involving national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academia. Its mission is to promote infrastructure resilience to climate change and disaster risks, fostering safer and more sustainable urban development worldwide.