Climate change and disasters pose an interconnected global challenge with damage to infrastructure systems emerging as one of the most critical impacts. Infrastructure is the backbone of economies and societies, underpinning essential services and contributing to sustainable development[1]. As access to infrastructure has expanded significantly for much of the world’s population, reaching new geographies, challenges in ensuring its resilience have also emerged.

Today, billion-dollar disasters are four times more frequent than in the 1980s[2]. Infrastructure systems are extremely climate sensitive and prone to damage from disasters. Between 2015 and 2023, 115 countries reported an average of 92,199 infrastructure assets impaired or destroyed each year, and over 1.6 million annual service disruptions, particularly in education and healthcare[3]. The global Average Annual Loss (AAL) for infrastructure is between US$ 732 and US$ 845 billion[4]. Just as we invest in technologies and strategies to reduce emissions, we can invest in reducing our exposure to extreme events. Hence, building disaster- and climate-resilient infrastructure, with sustained funding and political commitment, is critical for economic growth, as well as climate adaptation and mitigation².

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) was established in 2019 to provide leadership in climate adaptation, focusing on mainstreaming infrastructure resilience. Through its key initiatives, CDRI provides data and tools, and technical assistance to support countries in building resilience, ultimately supporting the achievement of the global targets such as UNFCCC’s Global Goal on Adaptation. At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, CDRI launched its first Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (DRI) Pavilion, themed “Resilient Infrastructure: Resilient World”. The pavilion served as a global platform to discuss DRI needs, share best practices, build partnerships, and promote risk-informed infrastructure investments to safeguard essential services, lives, and livelihoods.

The three overarching priorities for COP30 focus on reinforcing multilateralism, driving collective action by connecting the climate agenda to people’s daily lives, and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement. At COP30 in Belem, the DRI Pavilion will return with an enhanced ambition and a targeted agenda to drive progress. CDRI has identified three key priorities for its DRI Pavilion this year, namely, Unlocking the Resilience Dividend by investing in DRI; Showcasing DRI as an Enabler of Adaptation; and Highlighting Regional Priorities for DRI. These priorities, while aligning with those of COP30, advocate for integration of resilient infrastructure in global climate strategies and ensuring that climate adaptation remains a central focus in future negotiations.

A. Unlocking the Resilience Dividend by investing in DRI

Investing in DRI today yields about US $4 in benefits for every US $1 spent[5]. This “resilience dividend” captures the broad benefits of resilience, from avoided losses and reliable services to accelerated growth, positioning DRI at the centre of climate adaptation efforts. However, the lack of robust, comparable, and credible disaster and climate risk data and metrics, are some of the major barriers in capturing the resilience dividend. Global risk models built on open data, such as GIRI[6], are bridging this gap. These tools provide first-level global risk assessments, and when downscaled to national or subnational contexts, they create strong economic cases for resilience, including through Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions (NbIS). CDRI will launch the second edition of the Global Infrastructure Report at COP30. This report’s refined modelling, roadmaps, and case studies will help governments quantify and unlock the resilience dividend.

B. Showcasing DRI as an Enabler of Adaptation

Resilient infrastructure can be the backbone of climate change adaptation and sustainable development[7]. Infrastructure must embed resilience by design, rather than adapting reactively to climate impacts[8]. Yet planning remains fragmented and reactive, uncertainty is seldom handled through scenarios, and Operations and Maintenance cycles rarely integrate climate risk[9]^,[10].  Crucially, adaptation is strongest when pursued through integrated and holistic strategies. Aligning DRR strategies and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) is a practical entry point for governments and policy makers seeking to channel resources more efficiently and ensure polices are coherent across agendas. Infrastructure accounts for a massive 88% of all adaptation costs.[11] More than half of the NAPs submitted so far, already prioritize infrastructure resilience, from retrofitting assets to embedding climate risk standards. International examples underscore the breadth of approaches: the United States’ 2025 Adaptation and Resilience Planning Strategy emphasizes reducing vulnerabilities across infrastructure, populations, and ecosystems, while building adaptive capacity[12]; Kenya’s 2015–2030 NAP highlights sectoral actions for infrastructure resilience that leverage advanced technologies[13]; New Zealand’s 2022 NAP integrates adaptation into treasury and budgetary processes, introducing resilience standards, risk-informed investment, and the use of nature-based solutions[14]; and, Brazil's 2016 NAP adopts a sectoral approach to address observed and anticipated climate change impacts, with a special focus on transport, urban mobility and energy infrastructure[15].

To support this priority, CDRI has constituted a Community of Practice to bring together global experts to deliberate on the relevance of DRI in complementing climate adaptation strategies. The expert group will deliberate on opportunities for DRI as a key enabler for climate adaptation offering actionable recommendations on how country governments can effectively integrate DRI into national adaptation strategies. The Community of Practice discussions will lead to the development of an ‘Action Agenda on Integrating Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (DRI) into Adaptation Strategies’ which will also be released at COP30.

C. Highlighting Regional Priorities for DRI

The Global Stocktake (GST) reaffirmed that climate impacts are often transboundary, with cascading risks that require international cooperation and data-sharing to address effectively[16]. Developing countries are disproportionately affected[17], and adaptation must be locally tailored, avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions and fragmented institutional approaches³, which risk maladaptation or locking communities into unsustainable pathways. Regional project bundling can reduce costs, attract institutional investors, and harmonize technical standards, improving recovery and resilience. Advanced technologies, including AI and data analytics, can support countries in localizing their climate actions and measuring risks more accurately. There is a strong call to create regional data hubs which are centralized and open, creating a “one-stop-shop” for risk analytics[18]. However, these tools must be matched with capacity-building and sustained training to ensure continuity beyond project cycles. Indigenous and locally led solutions strengthen community ownership, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability[19]. Governments must prioritize removing policy barriers and building institutional capacity to integrate local knowledge into national frameworks [20]. COP30’s emphasis on community solutions[21] offers the mandate and convening power to launch partnerships and scale action for regional priorities.

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From 11–20 November 2025, the DRI Pavilion in the COP30 Blue Zone (Belém, Brazil) will convene discussions to advance these three core priorities for resilient infrastructure. CDRI will spotlight practical pathways to make infrastructure and essential services resilient to natural hazards and climate change—improving environments, livelihoods, and lives. Envisioned as the central hub for resilient infrastructure, the Pavilion will host nine days of high-impact sessions with CDRI members and partners, showcasing solutions across sectors and geographies.

Join us in the Blue Zone. For details on CDRI’s COP30 engagement, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By:

Arighna Mitra, Specialist – Advocacy, CDRI 

Kopal Verma, Specialist – Advocacy,CDRI 

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

Reference: 

[1] Thacker, S. (2018). Infrastructure: Underpinning sustainable development. UNOPS.

[2] National Centers for Environmental Information. (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/state-summary/US

[3] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2025). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025. New York. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2025.pdf

[4] CDRI (2023). Global Infrastructure Resilience: Capturing the Resilience Dividend - A Biennial Report from the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.59375/biennialreport.ed1

[5] Hallegatte, Stephane; Rentschler, Jun; Rozenberg, Julie. (2019). Lifelines: The Resilient Infrastructure Opportunity. World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31805

[6] CDRI (2023). Global Infrastructure Resilient Index. https://giri.unepgrid.ch/

[7] UNDRR. (2021). Promoting Synergy and Alignment Between Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Context of National Adaptation Plans: A Supplement to the UNFCCC NAP Technical Guidelines.

[8] CDRI. (2024). Advancing DRI through Intergovernmental Processes. DRI Connect. https://driconnect.cdri.world/all-events/advancing-disaster-resilient-infrastructure-dri-through-intergovernmental-processes

[9] FEMA. (2024). https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_climate-adaptation-guide-executive-summary_2024.pdf

[10] Aotearoa New Zealand's first national adaptation plan. (2022). https://environment.govt.nz/publications/aotearoa-new-zealands-first-national-adaptation-plan/infrastructure/

[11] Thacker et al. (2021). Infrastructure for climate action. UNOPS.

[12] USA. (2025). U.S. National Adaptation and Resilience Planning Strategy 2025. https://unfccc.int/documents/645358

[13] Government of Kenya. (2016). Kenya National Adaptation Plan 2015-2030. https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NAPC/Documents%20NAP/Kenya_NAP_Final.pdf

[14] Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand. (2022). Aotearoa New Zealand's first national adaptation plan. https://environment.govt.nz/publications/aotearoa-new-zealands-first-national-adaptation-plan/infrastructure/

[15] Brazil. Ministry of Environment. (2016). National Adaptation Plan to Climate Change. Volume II: Sectoral and Thematic Strategies. https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NAPC/Documents/Parties/English_PNA_Part2%20v4.pdf

[16] UNFCCC. (2023). Outcome of the first global stocktake. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2023_L17_adv.pdf

[17] U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. (2021). Climate Change and the Developing World: A Disproportionate Impact. https://www.usglc.org/blog/climate-change-and-the-developing-world-a-disproportionate-impact/

[18] CDRI. (2025). Call to Action Resilient Infrastructure for SIDS and Coastal Regions. https://cdri.world/icdri-2025-shaping-a-resilient-future-for-sids-outcomes-recommendations-and-next-steps/

[19] Ali, I., Tikoitoga, M., Kocovanua, T. F., & Qi, J. (2025). Traditional ecological knowledge for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Fiji. IISD, WCS, and WWF.

[20] Chitengi Sakapaji, S. (2021). Advancing Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Practices for Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience-Building, and Sustainability in Agriculture: A Case Study of Central and Southern Zambia. International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts & Responses, 13(2).

[21] COP 30 Presidency. (2025). Letters from the Presidency. https://cop30.br/en/brazilian-presidency/letters-from-the-presidency