Rising temperatures in coastal regions increase precipitation intensity: CDRI head

ABOUT 37 per cent of the world's population lives within a 100-km coast, where the population density is twice the global average.

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These coastal communities contribute an estimated $1.5 trillion to global GDP annually, a figure projected to rise to almost $3 trillion by 2030.

In addition, nearly 90 per cent of the goods being moved globally are transported by sea. Climate change is intensifying climate-induced hazards, both hydrometeorological disasters and slow-onset events, and creating new risks for places and communities.

In the run-up to the third UN Ocean Summit in Nice, hosted by France and Costa Rica, from June 9-13, New Delhi-headquartered Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Director General Amit Prothi talked to IANS exclusively in an interview about the infrastructure in small island developing states (SIDS) that is at much greater risk compared to other countries. A third of India's population lives in coastal areas.

Prothi said that in coastal regions, rising temperatures have increased the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events, such as hurricanes, cyclones, and flooding; and extreme storms and sea-level rise are resulting in greater coastal flooding, storm surges, and coastal erosion.

He believes there is an increasing emphasis on mobilising private finance for disaster risk reduction and enhancing infrastructure resilience, especially in developing countries and SIDS. "CDRI's Global Infrastructure Resilience report highlights that most new infrastructure investments over the next 30 years will occur in lowand middle-income countries, necessitating resilient assets to protect communities and promote growth," he said.