Why Infrastructure Must Shift from Disaster Recovery to Resilience in a High-Risk World
Asia and the Pacific face over US $170 billion in annual disaster losses as infrastructure built for past climates fails under modern risks. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) calls for a shift from post‑disaster rebuilding to proactive, climate‑resilient infrastructure. ADB urges governments to integrate climate risk into infrastructure policy and financing while expanding resilience bonds, blended finance, and adopting nature‑based solutions. It argues that resilient, risk‑informed design protects growth and stability, making infrastructure safer and more sustainable.
Malawi mobilizes government and community commitment to early warnings
Malawi is emerging as a model for climate‑vulnerable nations by uniting political leadership, communities, and international partners to strengthen early warning systems under the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative.
During a high‑level four‑day mission, officials launched the national Early Warnings for All Roadmap, aimed at improving coordination, sustainable financing, and community‑focused early action. Backed by a new US $3.84 million project with UNDP and the Systematic Observations Financing Facility, Malawi will expand its capacity to generate and share high‑quality weather data, closing long‑standing gaps in observation networks. Field visits in Zomba showcased how better forecasts, inclusive planning, and indigenous knowledge are already saving lives. Partners praised Malawi’s proactive approach as an example of progress toward universal, people‑centred early warning coverage.
Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu are among the Pacific countries most exposed to natural hazards, facing recurring climate-related and geophysical risks that threaten not only lives and infrastructure, but also the transmission and viability of living heritage. At the same time, the potential of intangible cultural heritage as a resource for education and resilience has remained largely underutilized in formal learning environments.
The joint UNESCO–ICHCAP project “Integration and Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Reduction in Educational Approaches in the Pacific” was designed to respond to these challenges. The initiative aimed to bridge cultural safeguarding with education and disaster risk reduction frameworks, placing traditional knowledge and community practices at the centre of resilience-building.
Empowering a resilient future through innovative climate financing
As climate‑related disasters become more frequent and severe, developing countries are increasingly at risk of losing the development gains they have worked so hard to achieve. In this article, Dr Bapon Fakhruddin highlights how innovative financial instruments can shift disaster management from reactive response to proactive risk management.
The Green Climate Fund’s blended finance model — combining grants, low‑interest loans, guarantees, insurance, and equity — helps make resilience projects viable and appealing to private investors. Tools like parametric insurance and catastrophe bonds provide quick funding after disasters, easing fiscal pressure. By linking early warning systems, risk‑reduction measures, and financial protection, innovative climate finance helps countries save lives, keep essential services running, and support sustainable development in an increasingly fragile climate.
From coverage to protection: Putting a risk diagnostic to work in The Gambia
The Gambia is facing mounting risks from droughts and flash floods that threaten food security and displace communities. A new disaster risk diagnostic, developed with the Centre for Disaster Protection, is helping the government map financial vulnerabilities and link insurance payouts directly to community support. This work has already unlocked a USD 10 million World Bank grant to expand protection against floods and windstorms. This marks a major step toward shifting The Gambia from reactive disaster response to proactive, risk‑layered financial resilience.
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