In June 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi addressed the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI 2025) which was held from June 06 to 07, 2025 in Nice, France, through video conferencing.
- CDRI 2025 marked the first time the conference was held in Europe, with CDRI serving as a co-chair.
- The ICDRI 2025 was held on the theme “Shaping a Resilient Future for Coastal Regions,” focusing on strengthening infrastructure to withstand coastal and climate-related challenges.
About ICDRI 2025:
i.The 7th edition of ICDRI was organised by New Delhi (Delhi) based Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) with the support of the Government of France.
ii.ICDRI 2025 was held in alignment with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva, Switzerland; and 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice (France).
iii.The main focus of this year conference was on coastal communities, which contribute nearly UD 1.5 trillion to world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, and this figure is further projected to double i.e. USD 3 trillion by 2030. Also, around 90% of goods moved globally are transported by sea.
iv.During the conference, research grants were awarded for 53 projects spanning 21 countries and also, member states gave call to action for accelerating infrastructure resilience in small island nations.
Key Points:
i.At the ICDRI 2025, the 54-member global coalition reaffirmed its commitment to advancing climate and disaster-resilient infrastructure across Africa.
ii.Along with a call to accelerate infrastructure resilience in small island nations, highlighting the critical need for enhanced global cooperation and increased investment.
iii.While addressing the conference, PM Narendra Modi emphasized the vulnerability of coastal regions and islands to natural disasters and climate change.
- He further highlighted that currently, CDRI is working with 25 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to built resilient homes, hospitals, school, energy systems, water security measures, and Early Warning Systems (EWSs).
iii.He also appreciated the participation of representatives from the Pacific Indian Ocean, and Caribbean regions. He welcomed the African Union (AU) joining the ICDRI 2025.
Key Global Priorities Outlined by PM Modi:
PM Narendra Modi outlined 5 key global priorities to bolster disaster resilience:
i.To Integrate disaster resilience courses into Education & Skilling Programmes;
ii.To develop a global digital repository to document best practices and learnings from countries that have faced disasters and rebuilt with resilience;
iii.To develop Innovative disaster financing for developing countries;
iv.To Recognize SIDS as ‘Large Ocean Countries’:
v.To Strengthen EWS with better coordination and last-mile communication.
Note: With nearly 37% of the world’s population living within 100 kilometers(km) of the coast, contributing about USD 1.5 trillion annually to the global Gross Domestic Product(GDP), and 90% of global trade transported via sea, enhancing coastal resilience has become a critical global priority.
About Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):
PM Narendra Modi announced the launch of CDRI at the UN Climate Action Summit held in New York, the United States of America (USA) on September 23, 2019.
Director General (DG)- Amit Prothi
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
