Session Partners: The United States of America Government, the Australian Government -The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

This session will be a dialogue to  focus attention and action on strengthening disaster risk governance of critical infrastructure in coastal regions of the Asia Pacific and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Coastal Regions of many countries and SIDS are highly disaster-prone and face a wide range of challenges, including rising temperatures, unusual fluctuations in rainfall, and devastating cyclones. The frequency and severity of extreme events have been increasing due to climate change. The region has densely populated cities, many of which are coastal and vulnerable to various hazards. The accentuated disaster and climate risks pose significant threats to infrastructure in the region. Hence, countries and SIDS in the region must take a proactive stance on disaster preparedness, resilience, and climate change adaptation, especially in the context of key infrastructure sectors such as power, transport, health, and telecom.

The session will anchor the deliberations on the learning from power sector disaster preparedness and management policies to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks in critical infrastructure. This high-level dialogue will be convened as part of an Indo-Pacific-focused regional dialogue on resilient infrastructure. This session will enable stakeholders to undertake a discussion on the development of a framework for a Coastal Resilience Program focusing on Critical Infrastructure.

The deliberations would aim to draw out:

1. Challenges faced by countries with extensive coasts and SIDS in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impacts of extreme geological or climatic events on critical infrastructure.
2. Best practices adopted by various CDRI member countries in restoring and building back better infrastructure to minimize disruption to essential services delivered by critical infrastructure.
3. Way forward for immersive engagements for longer-term action of risk mapping, improving infrastructure, and financing.