During the SIDS4 Conference in Antigua and Barbuda, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), headquartered in New Delhi, announced an $8 million funding initiative aimed at enhancing infrastructure resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This initiative is part of CDRI's Infrastructure for Resilient Island States Programme (IRIS). Amit Prothi, Director General of CDRI, emphasised that this funding will support SIDS in achieving climate and disaster resilient infrastructure, thereby fostering resilient economies and ensuring a secure future for these small islands. Additionally, Prothi shared that IRIS has been honoured with the 2024 UN SIDS Partnership Award, recognising its contributions to the sustainable development of SIDS through innovative partnerships.

The projects funded by this initiative will focus on various sectors such as transportation, power, telecommunications, water, health, and education. They will address policies, regulatory frameworks, project preparation, resource mobilisation, project management and implementation capacities, and data system strengthening. The funding aims to provide technical assistance and information products to SIDS, enabling them to promote disaster-resilient infrastructure and biodiversity conservation.

CDRI, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019, is a collaborative effort involving national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academia. Its mission is to enhance the resilience of both existing and new infrastructure systems to climate change and disaster-related risks. (ET Infra)