CDRI prepares to present telecom resilience study at COP29
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), an India-led initiative, will unveil a new study on strengthening telecommunications infrastructure against disasters, at the upcoming COP climate conference. CDRI Director General Amit Prothi, disclosed that the organization is broadening its telecom infrastructure projects globally, and will kick off initiatives in foreign countries this year. "We're doing studies across several Indian states to understand where the risks are in the telecommunications space," Prothi stated.
Study to identify threats to telecom infrastructure
The study by CDRI aims to pinpoint potential hazards to telecom infrastructure, such as equipment situated in flood-prone regions or towers not built to endure escalating wind speeds. "Resilient infrastructure is about making sure that the infrastructure continues to provide services when there are events like flood, earthquake or cyclone," Prothi explained. The research is anticipated to be completed within the next quarter and will be presented at the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
CDRI to announce new funding recipients at COP29
In addition to the study, CDRI plans to announce a new set of funding recipients for small island nations (SIDs) at COP29. The organization is set to launch the second phase of the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) next month, in Antigua and Barbuda. "We've already allocated roughly $8 million in the first call, which'll go again to countries in this, and the grant range will be between $150,000 and half a million," Prothi revealed.
CDRI's global collaborations and risk assessment services
CDRI is also partnering with foreign countries interested in its research, and has offered probabilistic risk modeling services to other nations for assessing risks from environmental shocks. The organization is collaborating with the Sikkim government and the World Health Organization, to evaluate the preparedness of health systems for natural disasters. Prothi also mentioned that CDRI plans to announce the recipient of the second call for proposals at COP29.
