KD NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, Apr 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon the world for an integrated approach to deal with the impact of disasters.
Speaking at the 5th edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, ICDRI-2023, Modi said in a closely connected world, the impact of disasters will not just be local and therefore the response has to be integrated, not isolated.
Modi said that each nation and region faces disasters of different kinds and societies evolve local knowledge related to infrastructure that can with-stand disasters. He added that while modernizing infrastructure, such knowledge needs to be used intelligently and modern technology with local insights can be great for resilience. He further added that, if documented well, local knowledge may become a global best practice!
Modi informed that in just a few years, over 40 countries have become part of the CDRI. He said the conference is becoming an important platform for the advanced economies and developing economies, large and small countries.
The Global North and the Global South are coming together at this forum. He said it is also encouraging that it is not just governments that are involved but the global institutions, domain experts and the private sector also play a role.
The CDRI’s theme for this year’s conference is related to Delivering Resilient and Inclusive Infrastructure. Talking about the initiatives of the CDRI, Modi said the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative or IRIS benefits many island nations.
He said Just last year, the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund was announced and this 50 million-dollar fund has generated immense interest among developing nations. He added that the commitment of financial resources is key to the success of initiatives.
Speaking about the G20 Presidency, Modi said India is also bringing the world together through its G20 presidency and India has already included the CDRI in many working groups. He said the solutions explored at the conference will receive attention at the highest levels of global policy-making.
The Prime Minister said this is an opportunity for CDRI to contribute to infrastructure resilience, especially against climate risks and disasters.
