A new CDRI report warns that without urgent investment in disaster-resilient infrastructure, the impacts of mountain hazards will increasingly reverberate far downstream as climate change intensifies, threatening ecosystems, communities, economies, and essential services.

Key Points

• Mountain regions face severe climate hazards, threatening fragile infrastructure systems.
• Disaster resilient infrastructure ensures continuity of essential services during crises
• Indigenous knowledge and ecosystem-based adaptation complement modern engineering solutions.
• Multi-hazard risk assessments must guide planning and investment in mountains.
• Financing resilience requires public-private partnerships and innovative climate funding mechanisms.
• Collective action is urgent to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

Mountains cover more than a quarter of the Earth’s surface and sustain the lives of 1.2 billion people. They are vital hubs of biodiversity and the source of much of the world’s freshwater. Yet these regions are increasingly vulnerable to climate-driven hazards such as floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods – threats that endanger communities, damage ecosystems, and disrupt essential services far beyond the highlands.

A new report, Shaping Resilience in Mountains: The Case for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, led by Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) scientists Lina Rodriguez and Stefan Schneiderbauer, warns that the failure of mountain infrastructure – from roads and bridges to water systems – can trigger widespread consequences downstream. The report, commissioned by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and developed in collaboration with GLOMOS, outlines the urgent need to strengthen resilience across these fragile environments.

The report identifies key opportunities to integrate technological innovation, ecosystem-based adaptation, and Indigenous knowledge into the design and maintenance of mountain infrastructure. It also highlights major governance gaps, financing challenges, and the cascading risks that arise when infrastructure is unable to withstand extreme events. To address these issues, the authors call for multi-hazard risk-informed planning, inclusive policies, and sustainable long-term maintenance strategies.

Practical case studies from around the world demonstrate how engineering solutions and nature-based approaches can be combined to reduce vulnerability. The recommendations aim to guide action at global, regional, and national levels, embedding disaster resilience into broader climate adaptation and sustainable mountain development efforts.

Among the strategic pathways proposed are improved early warning systems, gender-responsive planning, and diversified financing options such as public–private partnerships and climate funds. According to the report, collective action is urgently needed to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems in mountain regions as climate change accelerates.

_{Header image by Timo Volz.}