Strengthening resilient critical infrastructure worldwide: MoU signed between CDRI and GIDRM

On March 22nd 2022, the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to work in close partnership for the promotion of all-inclusive resilient critical infrastructure.

The hybrid signing ceremony was amongst others attended by Dr. Martin Schuldes, Head of Division Peace and Security, Disaster Risk Management at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Dr. Shri Kamal Kishore, President of CDRI and Member Secretary of the National Disaster Management Authority in India.

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Dr. Schuldes stressed the vulnerability and interdependencies of critical infrastructure systems highlighting the importance to understand and manage risks in a more systemic manner to safeguard development achievements and ensure sustainable and resilient development. This is in line with the comprehensive risk management approach of the BMZ that combines a variety of strategies and instruments from the fields of politics and business, poverty reduction and social protection, urban development, the environment and adaptation to climate change, education and health in order to promote risk-informed and sustainable development.

Dr. Kishore shared his appreciation of the high technical quality and long-term strategic orientation of German development cooperation. Initiatives such as the GIDRM that have been running for 10 years are an excellent example for the commitment of German development cooperation to find sustainable solutions to the problems we are facing. At the same time, he stressed the competitive advantage of the partnership between CDRI and GIDRM. Bringing together technical expertise with wide ranging global networks and political buy-in allows for sustainable changes through the partnership.

To promote inclusive resilient critical infrastructure and risk-informed decision-making in the context of critical infrastructure, GIDRM will (1) provide technical support related to risk-informed development, resilient critical infrastructures, and risk-informed public investment through the secondment of a technical expert, (2) establish a technical working group focusing on inclusive resilient critical infrastructure at the CDRI (3) support the implementation of pilot measures for an inclusive resilient critical infrastructure governance in a CDRI partner country and (4) connect CDRI with GIZ networks in relevant countries.

In face of increasingly interdependent and systemic risks worldwide, the cooperation between CDRI and GIDRM is the cornerstone to strengthen risk-informed decision making in the context of critical infrastructure, safeguard development achievements in partner countries and regions and promote sustainable development that leaves no one behind.

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The CDRI is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
The GIDRM was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to support selected decision-makers, regional organisations, and initiatives in Southern Africa, Asia, and Latin America in strengthening their capacities and skills to use risk-informed development while taking account of context-specific fragility factors.