Session Focus

This Webinar will sensitize participants from Mauritius and other countries from the IORA region on impact of disaster and climate change on Telecom Infrastructure andshare regional and global good practices on resilient telecom infrastructure.

The session will ensure connectivity during the three phases of disasters: pre, during and post-disaster. The primary objectives include exploring the impact of disasters on telecom assets, elucidating strategic approaches, harnessing innovative solutions, and providing future strategic recommendations. Through this session, CDRI will also demonstrate it Disaster Risk and Resilience Framework for the teelcom sector.

Session Objectives

Assess Disaster Impact: Provide an overview of the impact of disasters on telecommunications infrastructure assets in Mauritius, emphasizing the repercussions on businesses, communities, and individuals.

Share Good Practices: Share practical approaches, regional and global good practices, offering an opportunity for peer learning regarding government initiatives, policies, and corporate strategies to minimize disaster impacts on communication infrastructure systems.

Identify Challenges and Opportunities: Explore critical challenges and opportunities, including technical and non-technical solutions for wireless and wireline communications infrastructure, and advocate for collaboration with telecommunications stakeholders to bolster connectivity resilience.

Foster Future Collaborations: Discuss areas requiring further exploration and collaboration, particularly in how international and national organizations' sectoral working groups can enhance telecommunications infrastructure resilience, raise awareness among stakeholders and communities, and reduce risk to the national and global digital economy

Session Format

This session will be undertaken by prominent figures in the telecommunications sector, and technical experts who will provide their insights. Participants will encompass representatives from Mauritius Telecom, Emtel, Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited, Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and Information and Communication Technologies Authority and other relevant stakeholders from IORA. The session will be moderated by the Advisor, Telecommunication, CDRI.

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is posing unprecedented challenges to educational infrastructure globally, particularly in urban areas and resource-constrained settings. By 2050, nearly 2.02 billion children—almost every child in the world—will be exposed to heatwaves (UNICEF, 2023). Children are physiologically more vulnerable to heat stress, and poor school infrastructure often exacerbates the issue. Extreme heat not only threatens the health and well-being of students but also undermines learning outcomes, exacerbates inequalities, and disrupts access to education. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, CDRI is convening a Community of Practice to bring together global experts, practitioners, and policymakers. Over a four-month period, the Community will foster structured dialogue, document best practices, and develop actionable guidance to build heat-resilient school systems.

About 37 percent of the world's population lives within 100 km of the coast, where the population density is twice the global average. These coastal communities contribute an estimated US$ 1.5 trillion to global GDP annually, a figure projected to rise to almost US$ 3 trillion by 2030. In addition, nearly 90 percent of the goods being moved globally are transported by sea. The interconnectedness and interdependence of critical infrastructure in coastal areas amplifies this increasing risk, leading to higher dynamic risks and cascading impacts. The risks to critical services such as health, transport, power and telecommunications are exacerbated by aging infrastructure, poor maintenance and their establishment in hazard-prone areas. While all coastal areas face these increasing challenges, for SIDS, their remoteness and geographic location compounds their vulnerability.

The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure will happen on 6 and 7 June 2025, in Nice, France, and will align with and support the broader outcomes of the third UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3). To prepare for ICDRI, CDRI has formed a Community of Practice for global experts and practitioners, and within this, established four Expert Groups. These experts will guide the development of the agenda and produce bespoke thought pieces to inform the deliberations and outcomes of ICDRI 2025.