One of the key responsibilities of higher education is to prepare professionals who can fulfil the requirements of the industry and also address the major issues that the world faces today. In light of the disasters induced by climate change, it is incumbent upon us to establish a roadmap, which ensures a steady supply of professionals and, by extension, innovations to help nations build back better.
The frequency and magnitude of disasters such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes, and droughts have been escalating. Extreme disaster-driven losses between 2008 and 2017 were an average of $46 billion per year — or $134 million per day (ADB, 2019). According to estimates from the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), disasters globally resulted in an average annual loss of several hundred billion dollars. India alone suffered economic losses of around $87 billion in 2020, with floods and storms in 2021 causing economic damages of $3.2 billion and $ 4.4 billion, respectively. Infrastructure resilience as a component of disaster preparedness and risk reduction can ensure reduced losses both to lives and livelihoods.
A World Bank (2019) study enumerates that investing in more resilient infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries, on average, would result in benefits of $4 for every $1 invested, amounting to a total savings of around $4.2 trillion. It is, thus, imperative to channel resources towards the development of disaster-resilient infrastructure (DRI), which can absorb future shocks and stresses and ensure the uninterrupted provision of vital services, especially as climate uncertainties and disasters continue to pose significant challenges.
Existing options
Apart from equipping future generation of infrastructure professionals with the requisite knowledge and skills, principles of resilience should be embedded in the higher education system across a variety of disciplines, especially in planning and building infrastructure. There are existing courses that address specific aspects of disaster-resilient infrastructure. IIT Roorkee, for example, has a dedicated department for earthquake engineering that combines the skills of structural and soil engineers, geologists, and seismologists and offers postgraduate courses and Ph.D.
It further creates Indian standards, trains field engineers, conducts sponsored research initiatives, and provides consulting services. Similarly, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, and Lund University, Sweden, offer courses highlighting land use planning, risk assessment and policy analysis to create sustainable habitations. Enhancing such existing academic and training curricula, with respect to the evolving context of disaster and climate risks, will be a vital building block for securing infrastructure against disasters.
A strong foundation in DRI will help students understand how to design, develop, and maintain infrastructure that can withstand disasters and minimise losses. This will enhance their understanding of the links between infrastructure systems, disaster risks, and climate adaptation; and guide them to devise innovative and sustainable solutions. Higher education in DRI must not be limited to only architects and engineers but extend to planners, policymakers, social scientists, and other stakeholders involved in planning, design, execution, and maintenance of infrastructure assets.
What needs to be done
A common lexicon of disaster terminology, to promote inter-regional knowledge exchange, can add to the strength of the proposed worldwide network. There is also a pressing need to establish a worldwide network of academic institutions and sectoral experts to integrate systemic resilience of infrastructure as a mainstream academic offering.
Pooling complementary skills and knowledge from academic institutions across the globe and integrating DRI in education initiatives help create a group of competent professionals who can be deployed to develop innovative infrastructure solutions against the shared challenges of climate uncertainties and disasters. As we march into an uncertain future, the inclusion of disaster resilience through concerted efforts, investments, and focused educational resources can be one of the most potent strategies for a safer and more resilient world.
The writer is the Director General, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
