An ongoing familiarisation visit by journalists from Africa and the Pacific to India has sharpened the focus on one of the most pressing development challenges facing developing countries: how to build infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks, disasters and rapid urbanisation while supporting long-term sustainable development.
Central to the discussions was the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a global partnership of national governments, United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector and academia. The coalition was established to advance climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure as a critical foundation for sustainable growth.
CDRI was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, with a clear message that resilience is no longer optional in a world exposed to systemic shocks. “As the pandemic has reminded us, no one is safe till everyone is safe. We have to ensure that we leave no community, no place, no ecosystem and no economy behind,” Mr. Modi said.
India remains a central driver of the initiative as the permanent co-chair of CDRI’s Governing Council, positioning the country as a leading advocate for resilient infrastructure globally.
The Infrastructure Gap and the Cost of Inaction
According to Mr. Ramesh Subramaniam, Global Director for Programmes and Strategy at CDRI, the scale of the global infrastructure challenge is immense. Between 2025 and 2040, the world will require an estimated $7 trillion in infrastructure investment every year, with developing countries accounting for about $3.2 trillion annually.
Yet more than half of this required investment fails to materialise each year, leading to a growing backlog of unmet infrastructure needs. What is more troubling, he noted, is the rising cost of disasters. Average Annual Losses from disasters now stand at about $820 billion globally, with roughly 50 percent borne by developing countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Africa’s position is particularly critical, with more than 70 percent of its infrastructure yet to be built. This presents both a risk and an opportunity: decisions taken today will either lock countries into vulnerability or lay the foundation for resilience over generations.
Ghana’s Reality: When Disasters Are Self-Inflicted
For Ghana, the discussions around resilient infrastructure resonate strongly. While the country continues to invest in roads, markets, housing and drainage systems, resilience remains weak, largely due to poor maintenance, weak enforcement of regulations and widespread indiscipline.
Perennial flooding in urban centres, recurring market fires and periodic building collapses are reminders that many of Ghana’s infrastructure-related disasters are largely self-inflicted. Building in waterways, ignoring planning regulations, using substandard materials and neglecting routine maintenance undermine the very idea of resilient infrastructure.
These failures not only result in loss of lives and livelihoods but also drain public resources, forcing government to repeatedly rebuild instead of investing in new development priorities. This cycle runs counter to sustainable development and economic resilience.
Embedding Resilience at the Design Stage
A key lesson from CDRI’s work is that resilience must be built at the planning and design stage, not added as an afterthought. This begins with detailed vulnerability and risk assessments that reflect country-specific and even location-specific realities, such as flood-prone zones and climate exposure.
Mr. Subramaniam stressed the importance of embedding mitigation measures directly into project designs, supported by updated standards, building codes and strong governance frameworks. Financing, he added, must also be innovative, especially for countries facing debt sustainability challenges.
Capacity, Technology and Knowledge Sharing
Beyond finance, CDRI places strong emphasis on capacity building, recognising that institutional and technical capacity must continuously evolve. As digital tools, artificial intelligence and advanced engineering solutions become more central to infrastructure planning, developing countries must invest in skills, research and implementation capability.
Equally important is knowledge sharing. CDRI provides a platform for countries, both developed and developing to share best practices and learn from one another, recognising that resilience is a global public good.
Infrastructure Resilience as a Development Imperative
For Ghana, strengthening infrastructure resilience is inseparable from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Infrastructure failures disproportionately affect the poorest communities, disrupt economic activity and weaken investor confidence.
The message from India is clear: resilient infrastructure is not just about climate-proofing assets, but about discipline, governance and long-term thinking. Without a strong maintenance culture, respect for planning laws and accountability in public works, infrastructure investments will remain fragile.
As climate risks intensify and urban populations grow, Ghana’s development trajectory will depend on its ability to shift from reactive rebuilding after disasters to proactive investment in resilient infrastructure built to last, properly maintained and designed to protect both people and the economy.
