Natural disasters are destroying between $700 billion and $800 billion of infrastructure worldwide every year, with the full economic fallout running roughly seven times higher, the head of a major global coalition has warned.
Amit Prothi, Director General of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), told international journalists at the BRICS meetings in New Delhi that governments can no longer treat resilience as an optional extra as climate change drives more frequent and severe disasters.
“On average, we lose about $700 to $800 billion of infrastructure every year. That’s only the direct damage. The economic cost of that damage is roughly seven times higher,” Prothi said.
He pointed to recent wildfires in Los Angeles, floods, earthquakes and cyclones as clear evidence that infrastructure systems are increasingly exposed. Critical networks — telecommunications, power and transport — are particularly at risk.
Prothi recalled being in Kathmandu during Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake. He managed to send a short message to his family, but many others could not because communication systems had collapsed.
“Communication is becoming increasingly critical during disasters,” he said.
Launched by India at the United Nations in 2019, CDRI has grown from 24 members to 70, with the Philippines set to become the 71st. India is the permanent co-chair; Brazil currently shares leadership. The coalition does not fund projects itself but works with governments to embed resilience into the design of roads, power grids and telecom networks.
“We are the chilli in the soup,” Prothi explained. “When countries build roads, power systems or telecommunications networks, we help them understand how those investments can withstand future risks from climate change and disasters.”
CDRI’s global risk database estimates that Brazil alone faces about $13 billion in average annual infrastructure losses, with Africa facing losses on a similar scale. The data allows countries to identify sector-specific vulnerabilities — for example, cyclones threatening power transmission lines or earthquakes endangering buildings.
The coalition has become a technical partner in G20, BRICS, COP and United Nations processes. It helped establish a Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilient Infrastructure Working Group during India’s G20 presidency, work that continued under Brazil.
Prothi said future efforts will focus on Africa, small island developing states, mountain regions and cities. He also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence, satellite data and predictive modelling to improve early warning systems.
He urged greater involvement from ASEAN countries, arguing that their hard-won experience with earthquakes, tsunamis and floods would benefit the rest of the world while allowing them to learn from global best practice.
The speed of recovery after disasters remains a major concern. Some countries rebuild quickly; others take more than a decade. Discussions are under way on faster insurance and private-sector financing mechanisms to shorten that gap.
