Scene Setting for Resilient Urban Infrastructure

Manoj Sharma set the scene for resilience of urban infrastructure by reminding participants that 55% of Asia-Pacific region’s population will live in cities by 2030, and that the region is home to 6 of 10 of the world’s most vulnerable cities. Required investment in urban infrastructure is estimated at $1.7 trillion per year. Urban infrastructure must be made resilient to meet not just the host of challenges presented by rapid urbanization, but also in the context of uncertainties presented by imminent climate change and growing disaster risks, and the “new normal” introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic..