Canada has joined the Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), an initiative that was launched by India in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled ‘The international coalition’ by Indian at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019 and now includes 22 countries, four international partners and two private sector organisations.
A release from the Indian high commission in Ottawa hailed the significance of the CDRI at this “crucial juncture as the world focuses on global resilience and recovery, following the collective global experience of managing the ravages of the pandemic”. Announcing the Canadian decision, minister of infrastructure and communities Catherine McKenna said, “People around the world are feeling the profound effects of climate change. From forest fires in Canada, to flooding in Europe to extreme heat in India, the impacts of a changing climate are real and significant. Canada recognises the need to join India and countries from around the globe to build a world that is more resilient to the impacts of climate change.” The CDRI describes itself as “a partnership of national governments, UN 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”.
Among its members are the United States, the United Kingdom, The European Union, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and Brazil.
