Today, USAID announced that, on behalf of the U.S. Government, Administrator Samantha Power will join Dr. P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, as Co-chair of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Governing Council for a two-year term starting this month. Administrator Power acknowledged this as an opportunity for the U.S. and India—as global leaders in climate action—to catalyze disaster-resilient infrastructure around the world, alongside 37 CDRI members.
At the CDRI Governing Council meeting, Administrator Power underscored the United States’ priority to promote infrastructure that fortifies communities’ resilience in the face of increasing disasters and adapts to the impacts of climate change. She reinforced that USAID’s involvement in CDRI directly supports President Biden’s Build Back Better World (B3W) global initiative, as well as President Biden’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), for which USAID coordinates with other U.S. Government agencies on the implementation of climate-resilient infrastructure, among other key areas of climate adaptation.
Administrator Power shared her vision for her tenure as Co-chair of the CDRI Governing Council, emphasizing her desire to develop a sustainable approach that integrates infrastructure best practices that are also inclusive of the aspirations and perspectives of local communities, women, and indigenous peoples. She also underscored the need to expand CDRI’s global reach and foster partnerships with the public and private sectors, academia, and other U.S. and international institutions.
The United States Government was a founding member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which was launched in September 2019 by India at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.