THE Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is inviting proposals from Solomon Islands for its Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) program.
The deadline for submissions is 31 August 2024. Proposals for the local project funding can range from USD $150,000 to $500,000, while the set amount for proposals for the regional project funding is USD $250,000.
Senior Director of CDRI, Ramraj Narasimhan announced this when addressing 23 journalists from the Indo-Pacific region in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The journalists are in India for a familiarization visit from August 18 to 27. The visit was organized by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Mr Narasimhan said the CDRI has already received some proposals from Solomon Islands, along with submissions from other interested countries.
He emphasized that while the opportunity is open, the selection process is highly competitive.
Proposals will be evaluated by an external committee and funding will be awarded based on the quality of the submissions.
He said each project proposal must be endorsed by the national government of the interested country in order to be considered.
To date, approximately 13 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) across the Caribbean and Pacific have benefited from 11 IRIS-funded projects. Six of these projects are currently implemented, while five are set to commence soon.
Additionally, Save the Children and the Green Climate Fund will launch a six-year climate resilience project in Solomon Islands valued at USD $31.8 million.
This initiative aims to help children and communities in the low-lying Pacific Island nation adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change. Save the Children is collaborating with relevant government ministries to roll out this project across six provinces.
IRIS, a flagship program of CDRI, was co-created with SIDS to support the successful implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.
Its objectives include enhancing the resilience of SIDS infrastructure to climate change and disaster risks, strengthening knowledge and partnerships related to resilient infrastructure, and promoting gender equality and disability inclusion.
IRIS has secured commitments of USD $35 million from Australia, India, the European Union and the United Kingdom with a goal to attract and deploy USD $50 million by 2030.
The funding rounds of IRIS are designed to address the needs of SIDS and build synergies with other initiatives supporting climate and disaster-resilient infrastructure.
CDRI regularly consults with SIDS stakeholders, including governments, regional organizations, United Nations agencies, donor partners and specialists in resilient infrastructure to define the programmatic priorities of IRIS.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
In New Delhi, India
