“Resilience has to be embedded in the business planning for new cities and towns given the multitude of risks which can follow rapid urbanization and population growth in disaster-prone parts of the world.” 

He concluded by stating that “these two days will also provide valuable input to the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which takes place in Mongolia this July where we will assess progress on implementing the ambitious Asia Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework adopted in Delhi 15 months ago.” The last Asian Ministerial Conference was hosted by the Indian government in New Delhi in November 2016. 

•India is investing trillions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 when it is expected that over 40% of the population will be living in an urban environment, including 68 cities with over a million residents 

•Asia as a whole will need investments of US$ 26 trillion from 2016 to 2030 if the region is to maintain growth, eradicate poverty and respond to climate change. 

•This level of investment in urban, land-use and energy systems is not to be undertaken lightly and needs to be risk sensitive. 

Underlining the importance of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Shri Singh said that it creates opportunities for economic growth and is at the core of sustainable development. As the infrastructure systems are globally interconnected, disruptions in one part of the world can cause havoc in another part of the world. It is, therefore, important that all stakeholders come together to address the challenges and devise solutions to create resilient infrastructure, said Shri Singh. 

Reiterating India's commitment towards building resilience and strengthening global cooperation, Shri Singh talked about the Prime Minister's 10-point agenda, outlined during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in New Delhi in November 2016. "It emphasized the need for investing in infrastructure in a manner so that it can withstand hazards not only now but also in the future."

Date:

15 Jan 2018

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Themes:

Critical Infrastructure

Countries:

India