Global disaster coalition offers Uganda technical aid, grants to build resilient infrastructure

Uganda could unlock vital technical assistance, capacity-building grants, and expert support to mitigate recurring natural and man-made disasters if it joins the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

Speaking in an interview on the sideline of a presentation to a delegation of international journalists at the CDRI headquarters in New Delhi on September 11, 2026, Amit Prothi, the Director General of CDRI, extended an invitation to Uganda to become a member state of the global initiative. The briefing took place during a familiarisation tour of India organized for journalists ahead of the upcoming BRICS summit.

Mr. Prothi explained that the coalition examines the intersection between national infrastructure and extreme events, offering member nations specialized insights into structural failures and risk mitigation.
“In Uganda, for example, if you have challenges of flooding or urban flooding, we can try to help understand why that flooding happens in your cities. Is it because the infrastructure that has been built is not enough? Or is it that where you are building is maybe not in the right location? Or are the people building the infrastructure in need of more training?” Mr. Prothi asked.

He noted that CDRI currently brings together 70 members, including 58 countries, functioning as a global platform where nations share strategies on disaster preparedness. However, because the coalition primarily engages with member states, Uganda must formally join to access its specialized knowledge base and financial mechanisms.

“When Uganda becomes a member of the coalition, it will have access to expertise to say, if we have these landslides, why are they happening? Are they happening because we have to work on our codes and standards? Or is it because we are not able to do some scientific understanding of what is going on, or are we building in places where we need to not build, or how we are building needs to change?” Mr. Prothi added.

He outlined three key pathways of support available to members: direct technical assistance grants, global capacity-building programs, and international advocacy. Membership would allow Ugandan universities to collaborate on resilient infrastructure curricula, grant re-searchers access to global workshops, and provide senior leaders a platform to speak on climate resilience at major global events like the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP).
Reacting to the call, Mr Paul Waniala, a Multimedia Producer with Vision Group Uganda, emphasized the urgency of such international partnerships given the country’s vulnerability to extreme events.

“Uganda has over the years faced disasters, both natural and man-made, ranging from accidental fires, floods, and landslides, among others,” Mr. Waniala who was part of the visiting journalists group, said. “Therefore, joining the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure would bring immense benefits ranging from technical assistance and expertise that would be rendered by the coalition, to capacity building of the Ugandan team through training that would empower the country to mitigate disasters.”
As climate impacts intensify across East Africa, joining the global alliance could provide Ugandan urban planners, engineers, and policymakers with the tools needed to safeguard public infrastructure against future crises.