On the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, March 4th, with its annual theme of “Engineering innovation for a more resilient world”, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) reiterates its commitment to fostering exchanges between civil societies and engineering leadership at the federal, state, and local level. We support and encourage engineering societies and elected leaders such as mayors, council members and appointed officials, to endorse the projects such as Atlas Initiative for Climate Resilient Infrastructure.
The Atlas Initiative is an action fostering bilateral exchanges that produce National Assessments for Climate Resilient Infrastructure to reduce climate risks, emissions, and disasters; incentivize public and private investments; protect the environment; and leave no one behind. We acknowledge that greater investments and better insurance/reinsurance for infrastructure, as called for by the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, depend on the expertise of engineers with unwavering support of city leaders to reduce climate disasters by raising both engineering and procurement standards.
We recognize that engineers, and infrastructure practitioners need to be invited to the decision-making tables at the outset to optimize infrastructure planning, engineering, and design that enable improved climate resilience to avoid catastrophes. We see the need to combine technical expertise with those who know cities’ needs to build the projects right and build the right projects.
We further welcome city leaders and engineers to join us to work with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure – CDRI, Multi-Lateral Development Banks – MDBs/Development Financial Institutions – DFIs, and capital markets to raise standards, de-risk projects to incentivize investments, operationalize policies, and move towards implementation of sustainable, climate-resilient, equitable, inclusive, and quality infrastructure for all.
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