New global standard on resilient infrastructure launched: ISO 22372 sets a benchmark for safer, risk-informed development
A major milestone in global disaster resilience has been reached with the release of ISO 22372: Guidelines for Resilient Infrastructure. The new international standard offers a clear, structured approach for governments, engineers and all infrastructure stakeholders to establish, maintain, monitor, and continually improve infrastructure resilience
This new standard builds directly on the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's Principles for Resilient Infrastructure, which have which have already guided national planning processes in countries around the world and supports the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The principles are now included in this globally recognized framework that organizations can adopt to assess, design, fund, operate, and maintain infrastructure for long-term resilience.
Why this standard matters now
The demand for resilient infrastructure has never been greater. The cost of climate-related disasters is rising sharply, destroying schools, hospitals, transport systems, and power networks every year. At the same time, rapid urbanization and infrastructure expansion in many parts of the world mean that trillions of dollars in new assets will be built in the coming decades.
Yet countries have long lacked a consistent, international reference for integrating resilience into planning, design, and investment. ISO 22372 is the first global standard to close this gap, giving governments and institutions a shared, practical framework to make infrastructure safer and more reliable.
What ISO 22372 offers
The new standard provides:
- A common language for resilience across government, developers, financial institutions, and operators.
- A structured framework for assessing risks from climate, natural hazards, and cascading failures.
- Guidance for all stakeholders, ensuring resilience is integrated at every stage of the infrastructure lifecycle.
- Support for risk-informed investments, ensuring decisions to reflect long-term lifecycle risks and costs.
The standard reflects lessons from countries that have applied the UNDRR Principles for Resilient Infrastructure in national planning.
Raising the global bar
ISO 22372 is expected to influence future investment standards, public procurement rules, infrastructure audits, and national policies, creating stronger incentives to protect development gains across the public and private sectors.
As disasters become more frequent and complex, this new standard offers a much-needed blueprint for building infrastructure that keeps people safe, economies running, and development on track.
With ISO 22372 now in place, infrastructure stakeholders have a shared, practical, and internationally recognized guide for building a safer, more resilient future in alignment with the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure.