ACCRA: Ghana will soon benefit from a telecommunication infrastructure resilient programme to promote adaptability in existing and future telecommunications infrastructure systems to address climate and disaster risks under the CDRI initiative from India. The programme, which is the brainchild of the Indian Government, seeks to help strengthen Ghana’s telecommunication risk management regime in order to improve the socio-economic lives of its citizens.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Ramraj Narsimhan, Senior Director, Programme Management and Technical Support, CDRI, India, discussed this initiative during an engagement with journalists from West and Central Africa on a familiarisation tour. The tour aimed to expose the Press to India’s infrastructural development and understand the work and growth of its health system, education, academia and industries, culture and arts, and its partnership and collaboration with the global South, specifically Africa.
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructur
e (CDRI), created under the guidance of Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, is a global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academia. It intends to be a platform for members and partners to collaborate, cooperate, and advocate to ensure that by 2050, over US$10 trillion of new and existing infrastructure investments and services are resilient to natural hazards and climate change. This is envisioned to be achieved through enhanced capacity, informed policy, planning, and management, leading to improved quality of the environment, livelihoods, and lives of over three billion people.
Mr. Narsimhan emphasized that the telecommunication infrastructure resilient programme might not involve building hard infrastructure but rather focus on technologies, innovations, and research solutions to address disaster and climate challenges. He noted, “We are not talking about building hard infrastructure. Under telecommunications,
we are looking at large infrastructure across nations and this touches on the risks and resilience. This module is likely to be replicated in Ghana. Their High Commission expressed interest in it.”
The Senior Director also mentioned that they have begun supporting a fellowship project on Urban Flood Management in Ghana by helping to strengthen regulations and policies governing the infrastructure sector and developing a strategy for building resilience. He urged member countries, especially low and middle-income countries, to submit proposals and seek resources to address their disaster and climate change challenges before December 23 under the Urban Infrastructure Resilient Programme.
Mr. Narsimhan added, “We are hoping to create a specific programme in Africa which touches upon technical assistance and capacity building, infrastructure strengthening, and solutions to address needs and priorities.” Currently, the CDRI consists of 40 countries, with Ghana, South Sudan, Madagascar, and Mauritius being the Af
rican members of the Coalition.