New Delhi, June 8 -- Courses, modules and skill development programmes on disaster resilience need to become part of higher education, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday at a two-day conference, organized by Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in Nice, France, laying down five key areas for disaster preparedness. "Including disaster resilience in higher education will help build a skilled workforce that can tackle future challenges. Secondly, many countries face disasters and rebuild with resilience. A global digital repository of their learnings and best practices would be beneficial," Modi said, in his video address. Thirdly, disaster resilience requires innovative financing, Modi emphasised. "We must design actionable programmes and ensure developing nations have access to finance," he said. "Fourth: We consider Small Island Developing States as Large Ocean Countries. Due to their vulnerability, they deserve special attention," Modi said adding: "Fifth: Strengthening early warning systems and coordination is crucial. This helps timely decisions and effective last-mile communication. I am sure that discussions in this conference will consider these aspects. Let us build infrastructure that stands firm against time and tide. Let us build a strong and resilient future for the world." The CDRI conference is taking place in Nice ahead of the Third UN Ocean Conference. "The theme of this conference is 'Shaping a Resilient Future for Coastal Regions'. Coastal regions and islands are at great risk due to natural disasters and climate change. In recent times, we saw: Cyclone Remal in India and Bangladesh, Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean, Typhoon Yagi in South-east Asia, Hurricane Helene in the United States, Typhoon Usagi in Philippines and Cyclone Chido in parts of Africa. Such disasters caused damage to lives," Modi said....