Climate Resilient Infrastructure in Developing Countries

Infrastructure is imperative for development and links closely to achieving the desired GDP-growth of countries and regions. Both social and economic infrastructure developments are required in the changing phase of human development where urbanization and rural to urban transition is rapid. Increasing population and changing political economic realities of urban areas are stretching cities and city regions to build more and more of infrastructure in terms of energy reproduced below telecommunication, transport, and housing and provide services like water and sanitation, health and education. However, these cities and regions are also the ones that are at huge risks of climate change impacts due to financial and structural constraints, low levels of development, high vulnerability and climate-vulnerable geographies. Cities are increasingly becoming centres of environmental disasters, while also being the centre stage for economic development. To achieve growth targets, it is imperative that we build strong and resilient infrastructure that can withstand changing climate and projected increase in extreme events. This chapter views infrastructure development in the perspective of urban centres in developing countries and need for building safe and climate resilient infrastructure. It also highlights through various statistics how cities are vulnerable to climate impacts and why there is a need to think about building safe and resilient infrastructure. It draws up policy recommendations to achieve a climate resilient urban development accompanied by safe and resilient infrastructure and makes a case for infrastructure to be resilient in terms of design, finance, regulations and standards, policy, mainstreaming.