1ASIAN DISASTER REDUCTIONCENTER
Visiting Researchers Program – FY 2019B
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COUNTRY REPORT: DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon
Assistant Director(District)
Disaster Management Center
Sri Lanka“Safer communities and Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka”
ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)2

Contents

Page no.

1. INDRODUCTION........................................................................................... 3
1.1 Geography ............................................................................................. 3
1.2 Climate .................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Demography ........................................................................................... 8
1.4 History of Sri Lanka ................................................................................ 8
2.NATURAL HAZARD OF SRI LANKA ............................................................. 10
2.1 Hazard profile of Sri Lanka ................................................................... 10
2.2 Major Disasters in Sri Lanka ................................................................. 11
2.2.1 Tsunami………………………………………………………………………………………………………11
2.2.2 Flood………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
2.2.3 Drought……………………………………………………………………………………………………….14
2.2.4 Landslides………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
2.2.5 Cyclone……………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
2.2.6 Coastal Erosion……………………………………………………………………………………………17
2.2.7 Forest Fire………………………………………………………………………………………………….18
3. Disaster Management System in Sri Lanka ................................................. 19

3.1 Administrative System in the Country ................................................... 19
3.2 Disaster Management Legal System / Framework................................ 19
3.3 Disaster Management Policy ................................................................ 19
3.4 Disaster Management Act (DM Act)...................................................... 20
3.5 National Disaster Management Plan .................................................... 25
3.6 National Emergency Operation Plan ..................................................... 25
3.7 Institutional Disaster Management Plan................................................ 26
3.8 A Road Map for Disaster Risk Management ......................................... 27
3.9 Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan ......................................... 27
4. Disaster Management Committees .............................................................. 28
4.1 National Disaster Management Coordination Committee (NDMCC) ..... 28
4.1.1 Primary activities of NDMCC………………………………………………………………………28

4.2 Emergency Response Committee (ERC) ............................................. 29
4.3 Involvement of UN, Red Cross and Other Humanitarian Agencies ....... 29
5. DISASTER INSURANCE IN SRI LANKA ..................................................... 30
6. PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF HFA AND SFA............................ 31
6.1 The Four Priorities for Action ................................................................ 31
6.2 Achievements of the HFA and SFA ...................................................... 32
7. Counterpart of ADRC .................................................................................. 35
8. References .................................................................................................. 35

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)3

1. Introduction
1.1. Geography
Sri Lanka is an Island(Figure 1) with a land area of 65,610 square kilometers. It is situatedbetween the 5.55′and 9.51′N, 79.41 and 81.54 E. The Island is 224 Km wide and 432 Km longat its furthest point. The central part of the southern half of the island is mountainous withheights more than 2.5 Km.

Figure1. Where located in Sri Lanka

The core regions of the central highlands contain many complex topographical features suchas ridges, peaks, plateaus, basins, valleys and escarpments. The remainder of the island ispractically flat except for several small hills that rise abruptly in the lowlands. These
topographical features (Figure 2) strongly affect the spatial patterns of winds, seasonalrainfall, temperature, relative humidity (RH) and other climatic elements, particularly during
the monsoon season. Sri Lanka's highest Mountain is Pidurutalagala which is 2,524 meters inheight and Mountain of Pidurutalagala shown in Figure3. Most of the island's surface consistsof plains between 30 and 200 meters above sea level. Hundred and three rivers in the Central
Highlands and flow in a radial pattern toward the sea. Most of these rivers are short. There
are 16 principal rivers longer than 100 kilometers in length, with twelve of them carrying
about 75% of the mean river discharge in the entire country. The longest rivers are theMahaweli Ganga (335 km) and the Malwathu Oya (164 km). The rivers map of Sri Lanka
shows in (Figure 4), in the highlands, river courses are frequently broken by discontinuities inthe terrain, and where they encounter escarpments, numerous waterfalls and rapids haveeroded a passage. Once they reach the plain, the rivers slow down and the waters meander
across flood plains and deltas. The upper reaches of the rivers are wild and usually unnavigable, and the lower reaches are prone to seasonal flooding. Human intervention has
altered the flows of some rivers in order to create hydroelectric, irrigation, andADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)4transportation projects. In the north, east, and southeast, the rivers feed numerous artificial
lakes or reservoirs (tanks) that store water during the dry season. More than 90% of Sri
Lanka's surface lies on Precambrian strata, some of it dating back 2 billion years.

Figure2. Topographical map of Sri Lanka

Figure 3 Pidurutalagala Mountain

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)5

Figure4: River basing map of Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)6

We continued to use it even after gaining independence in 1948. According to the recommendationsof a select committee appointed to devise a state emblem more suitable for Sri Lanka (Ceylon) we
opted for a new State Emblem. It had a Lion with Sword in its right for paw encircled with a Palapethi
open petal design top. A new republican emblem was chosen after the country was declared a
Republic on May 22, 1972. In addition to the lion with a sword and the Palapethi open petal
design it portrays the Punkalasa, dhammachakka, sun, moon and two sheaves of paddy. Figure 5

Sri Lankan flag is Known as the Lion Flag, the flag of Sri Lanka is a rich colorful flag of gold,
green, saffron, and deep red, and depicts a golden lion holding a sword in its right fore paw,in front of a dark red background with four golden bo leaves, one in each corner. Around thebackground is a yellow border, and to its left are 2 vertical stripes of equal size in green andsaffron, with the saffron stripe closest to the lion. Figure 6

Figure 6: Flag of Sri Lanka
Figure 5: Embalm of Sri Lanka

1.2 Climate
The Climate in Sri Lanka is tropical and consists of very distinctive dry and wet seasons. The
average temperature of Sri Lanka usually ranges from 28 – 32 degrees Celsius which may
differ due to global weather conditions as a whole. The temperature can vary from being as
low as 16 degrees Celsius in Nuwara Eliya which belongs to the central highlands and to ashigh as 32 degrees in Batticaloa along the Eastern coast of the island. However, there arecertain areas along the coast that are cooled by the ocean breezes. The coldest months
according to the mean monthly temperature are December and January while the warmest
months are April and August. The Climate experienced during 12 months’ period in Sri Lanka
can be characterized in to 4 climate seasons (Figure 7) as follows.
 First Inter-Monsoon Season (March – April) – Thunderstorm type rainfall with warm
and uncomfortable conditions
 Southwest-Monsoon Season (May – September) – The warm season is eased awayby the windy weather during this particular monsoon season. Rains can be expectedduring any time of the day Second Inter-Monsoon Season (October – November) – Rains occur with thunderstorms while the influence of the weather system like depression and cyclones in the
Bay of Bengal is considered to be common. The whole island experiences wide spreadrain with strong winds
ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)7 Northeast-Monsoon Season (December – February) – Cold and dry windy weather
can be expected during this season while cloud free and days filled with sunshine canbe expected. Rain can be expected in several parts of the island as well.

Figure 7: climate seasons in Sri Lanka

Due to increase of global warming and climate change scenarios above mentioned time
period has slightly been changed. The rainfall pattern is influenced by the monsoon winds ofthe Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal and is marked by four seasons. The mean annual rainfall
varies from under 900mm in the driest parts (southeastern and northwestern) to over
5000mm in the wettest parts (western slopes of the central highlands) (Figure 8). Sometimes
tropical cyclones bring overcast skies and rains to the southwest, northeast, and easternparts of the island. The average yearly temperature for the country, as a whole, ranges from
26° C to 28° C.

Figure 8: Annual Rainfall in Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)8

1.3 Demography

Figure 9: Population distribution in Sri Lanka in 2012 censes

The Sinhalese make up 74.9% of the
population (according to 2012 census) and areconcentrated in the densely populated southwest and central parts of the Island. The Sri
Lanka Tamils live predominantly in the northeast of the island forming the largest minority
group at 11.2% (according to the 2012 census)of the population(Figure 9).
The Moors, who descend from Arab tradersthat settled in Sri Lanka, form the third largest
ethnic group at 9.2% of the population. They
are mostly concentrated in urban areas in thesouthern parts of the island with substantial
populations in the Central and Eastern
provinces. During times of Portuguesecolonization, Moors were persecuted, andmany forced to retreat to the central
highlands and the eastern coast. There arealso Indian Tamils who form distinct ethnic
group which comprises 4.2% of the
population. The British brought them to Sri
Lanka in the 19th century as tea and rubber
plantation workers, and they remain
concentrated in the "tea country" of south-

central Sri Lanka. In accordance with a 1964 agreement with India, Sri Lanka granted
citizenship to 230,000 "stateless" Indian Tamils in 1988. Under the pact, India granted
citizenship to the remainder, some 200,000 of whom now live in India. Another 75,000 Indian
Tamils, who themselves or whose parents once applied for Indian citizenship, now wish toremain in Sri Lanka. The government has stated these Tamils will not be forced to return toIndia, although they are not technically citizens of Sri Lanka.
Smaller minorities include the Malays who descent from South East Asian settlers, and theBurghers, who are descendants of European colonists, principally from Portugal, theNetherlands and the UK. (Wikipedia)
Link for details - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Sri_Lanka

1.4 History of Sri Lanka
History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. The
Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipawansa the Chulawansa and the Rajawaliya,
record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC. The
Buddhism was introduced in the 3rd century BC by Arahath Mahinda (son of the Indianemperor Ashoka the Great). The European Colonialist arrived in the 16 th century anddisestablishment of the monarchy in 1815. The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and ruled a part
ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)9of the country’s coastal Area. Then the Dutch rule Lasted from 1656 to 1796 and ruled a partof the country. The British ruled the country from 1796 to 1948. However, by a peacefulprocess and constitutional evolution, Sri Lanka won back her independence in 1948 and is
now a sovereign republic. In 1983 Sinhala and Tamil conflict was started and it ended in 2009
under guidance of his Excellency president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka Historical Map
Shown in figure 10.
Link for more details - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Sri_Lanka

Figure 10 Historical map of Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)10

2. NATURAL HAZARDS OF SRI LANKA.
2.1 Hazard Profile of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka being a small island in the Indian Ocean in the path of two monsoons is mostly
affected by weather related hazards. It is surrounded by 1,340 kilometers of beach frontage
and with an abundance of breathtaking inland waterways, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs
and tanks. Floods mostly due to monsoonal rain or effects of low pressure systems anddroughts due to failure of monsoonal rain are the most common hazards experienced in Sri
Lanka. In 2009, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) initiated a hazard profiles development
process in collaboration with the relevant technical agencies, which are responsible fordisaster mitigation activities of the country. Hence, it was decided to develop nine hazard
profiles of the country namely; Coastal Erosion, Drought, Floods, Landslides, Lightning, Sea
Level Rise, Storm Surge, Tropical Cyclone and Tsunami (Figure 11).
Over the past few decades’ disaster in Sri Lanka have increased substantially. The country isprone to natural disasters caused by floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts and coastal
erosion with increasing instances of environmental pollution related hazards. The
devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 h a s highlighted that Sri Lanka also
vulnerable to tsunami. Except tsunami, Sri Lanka is affected by various natural hazards such as floods, droughts, cyclones, land slights and coastal erosion. Other localized hazards include
lightning strikes, epidemics, high winds, fires and wild elephant attacks. More details please
access the fallowing link. Impact of disasters in last 30 years shown in Table 12.
Link- http://www.dmc.gov.lk/hazard/index-2.html

Figure 11: Major Hazard prediction calendar in Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)11

Disaster
ACCIDENTANIMAL ATTACKBOAT CAPSIZE
CUTTING FAILURECYCLONECYCLONE & FLOODDROUGHTDROWNING
EARTH SLIPFIRE
FLASH FLOOD
FLOOD
FOREST FIRE

Deaths
348
977
58
31
12
9
0
246
10
102
6
706
1

Injured
340
617
43
56
140
12
0
21
10
149
10
486
0

Missing
1
2
23
1
5
0
0
33
7
0
2
113
0

Houses Destroyed Houses Damaged
0
5
191
7700
0
0
161
2028
11510
88301
13178
37371
0
0
0
0
56
168
2058
1008
82
826
53807
173833619

GALE
LAND SUBSIDENCELANDSLIDE
LIGHTNING
ROCK FALLSTRONG WINDTSUNAMIURBAN FLOOD

8
17
1001
516
3
217
30959
0

21
8
316
461
9
710
19611
0

1
0
243
3
0
68
1908
0

137
69
2877
39
13
7749
57085
0

TOTAL

35496

23429

2416

150194Affected
752
80065
73
30583
89828331912821415559
310
3043
15935
18704
15242913
98

Relocated
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0

Evacuated
0
59
0
0
571
0
600
0
0
1040
0
39421
10

1858
1742
12077
753
111
105353
48069
0

11820
10403
2922274745
1448
735739970705
155

0
0
348
0
0
16
0
0

36
401
2357
3
28
1339
0
0

49065741397027

369

47221

Table 01 impact of the human life by disaster from 1980-2020 (Desinventar Database)

2.2. Major Disasters in Sri Lanka
The most common disasters in Sri Lanka include localized and seasonal floods and associatedlandslides. Less frequent but more severe hazards include cyclones, droughts, and tsunamis;
Sri Lanka was one of the worst hit countries by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. According toWorld Bank estimates, the country’s average annual losses are $380 million, or 3 percent of
total government expenditure.
Sri Lanka’s flood risk profile is rising. In the Colombo Metropolitan Region, economic growthand changes in land use are exacerbating flood risk. In 2010, heavy rainfall and flooding
affected about 50 percent of the private sector. In May 2016, Tropical Storm Roanu caused
flooding and landslides in 22 out of 25 districts. Over 90 people were killed and damages andlosses, per the preliminary post-disaster needs assessment, exceed $570 million.
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and impact of hydro-meteorologicalhazards. Major flooding in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016 exemplifies a 20-year trend.
2.2.1 Tsunami

The tsunami on 26th of December 2004 was the biggest havoc the Sri Lanka has ever faced(Figure 12) The southern, western, eastern and northern coastal belt was prone thattsunami event. It was almost the two third of Sri Lanka’s coastal belt. More than 30,959
people were killed while 5,644 people were missing and around 100,000 houses had been
ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)12completely destroyed. A number of 500,669 people were displaced. The Figure 13 shows
the tsunami affected area of the country. More details please access the fallowing link.
(Desinventar)
Link- http://www.desinventar.lk:8081/DesInventar/main.jsp?countrycode=sr&continue=yFigure.12. Impact of Tsunami 2004

09:00 (3-5m)
08:50 (5-8m)

08:40 (6-10m)

08:30 (7-12m)(4-5 m)
09:20

08:50 (7-9m)
(4-9 m)
09:00 (7-9
09:15
Figure.13: Tsunami affectedm)
areas in Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)132.2.2. Flood
Floods are more of a common occurrence in Sri Lanka than the other natural disasters (figure 14). The
water resources map of 1959 identified 103 river basins of which about 10 rivers are considered as
major. Among these major rivers Kalani, Gin, Nilwala and Mahaweli are vulnerable to floods. The
increase in population and subsequent need for land have forced more and more people to live andwork in these vulnerable areas, thereby intensifying the risk to life and property in the event of major
floods. Heavy rainfall and run off the large volume of water from the catchment areas of rivers,
deforestation, improper land use and the absence of scientific soil conservation practices could be
identified as the major factors for floods in Sri Lanka. Moreover, with global heating due to thegreenhouse effect, topical countries are expected to get less annual rainfall, but increased rainfall
intensities. The average annual rainfall ranges from 550 mm to 5500 mm. The highest rainfall of 805
mm. At Kanukken in 1897 and 508 mm. at Nedunkerni in 1911. Due to the Southwest and Northeast
monsoon rains, floods occur in the Island. The districts of Kegalle, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Colombo,
Gampaha and Gall are subject to floods on account of Southwest monsoon rains (figure 15) while
Ampara, Trincomalee, Badulla, Polonnaniwa, Batticaloa, Matale and Monaragala suffer from theNortheast rains (figure 16).

Figure .14: Flood in Sri Lanka, 2016

Figure .15 Flood Prone areas during
South west Monsoon (May – Sep)

Figure .16 Flood Prone areas during
North East Monsoon (Dec – Feb)

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)14

2.2.3. Drought
Drought in Sri Lanka seems to be very frequent phenomena in the recent years. According
the latest headlines in the media the drought is upon us once again with devastating effects.
It has been affecting not only the dry zones per se but all other areas such as Kandy,
Bandarawela to name a few due to scarcity of water both for drinking and other domestic
use. Drought is natural phenomenon in that land dries up due lack of precipitation (normal
rainfall), rising temperatures, climate change, over use of water and lack of proper
management of water and its resources. This is a major issue for water management andenvironmental protection. Unsustainable water management, including water overconsumption and water pollution, as well as predicted climate change effects in droughts,
could result in severe impacts on nature and society. In 2016 highly affected by drought.
Nearly 208,000 people from 51,561 families in several districts have been affected by theprevailing drought. 69,678 people in Eastern Province, 8,600 people in Northern Province,
8,422 people in North Western Province, over 10,000 people in Sabaragamuwa Province, and110, 350 people from 23,000 families in North Central Province are facing a water shortagedue to the drought in Sri Lanka. Drought prone area and drought situation shows figure 17
and figure 18.

Figure 17 Drought Prone areas in Sri Lanka

Figure .18: Drought situvation in Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)15

2.2.4 Landslide
Landslide is among the major natural hazards that affect large parts of the country. The
central highlands of Sri Lanka comprising 20% of the total land area of the country is often
threatened by landslides Excessive rainfall, typical landform and geology, deforestation andunplanned land use practices combine to create this socio natural hazard. The districts of
Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Kandy, and Matale are most prone tolandslides. Land slide prone areas map and landslide occurrences in Nuwara-Eliya andBadulla, Sri Lanka shown in figure 19 and figure 20.

Figure .19: Landslide Prone areas in Sri Lanka

Figure .20: Landslide Occurrences in Nuwara – Eliya and Badulla, Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)16

2.3.5. Cyclones
Sri Lanka has been affected mostly by cyclone activity occurring in the Bay of Bengal. The
Eastern, Northern and North Central regions are the cyclone prone areas of Sri Lanka as
shown in figure 21. Although cyclones do not occur frequently in Sri Lanka, these are nottotally outside the range of disasters. The records show that cyclones have affected theEastern, Northern and North Central Provinces. Sri Lanka has been hit by cyclones during thepast 70 years causing severe damages to the economy. The 1978 cyclone alone affected
more than one million people, killed nearly a thousand persons, partially and completely
damaged nearly 250,000 houses, destroyed 90% of the coconut plantation in the Batticaloa
district and resulted in the government having to. Spend over Rs. 600 million to bring
immediate relief to those affected. Also cyclones of severe intensity struck Sri Lanka in 1922,
1931 and 1 964. Figure 22 shows cyclone incident in Sri Lanka.

Figure .21: Tropical Cyclones prone areas in Sri Lanka

Figure .22: Cyclone Occurrences in Sri Lanaka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)17

2.2.6. Coastal Erosion
Sri Lanka has a coastline around 1340 km. More than half of her 18.3 million population livein village, town and cities of the coastal district. The economic importance of the coastal
areas has increased further with the rapid urbanization, the development of commercial
harbours (Colombo, Hambantota, Galle, and Trincomalee). Fishing harbours and anchorage,
main lines of communication (road and rail), recreational facilities and tourism. It has been
estimated that over 50-55 percent of the shoreline is subjected to or threatened by coasterosion. The most critically affected areas are those between Mahawewa, Arachchikattuwa,
Udappuwa and Kalpitiya in the North-western province and Matara in the South. Figure 15
shows the erosion trends in selected reaches of the coastline. One of the worst affected
reaches is the coastal sector from Maha oya to Lansigama, where erosion rates of 3.5-4.5
m/m/year have been recorded. Shoreline retreat due to sea erosion has been a severe
problem in Sri Lanka resulting in damage to and loss of property and infrastructure facilities,
and development efforts. Figure 23 showing beach conditions such as erosion (red lines) andaccretion (green lines) and prominent sand movement directions and b schematiccomparison with representative oceanic circulations in the Central Indian Ocean during the (i)winter monsoon and (ii) summer monsoon. Figure 24 showing costal erosion in Matara Sri
Lanka

Figure .23: Coastal Erosion areas in Sri Lanka

Figure .24: Coastal Erosion in Mtara, Sri Lanka

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)18

2.2.7. Forest Fire
Forest fires across the central part of the country, aggravated by dry conditions, have left
hundreds of acres of trees destroyed and brought suffering and death to wild animals. There
have been several fires in every year, with incidents being reported from the Naula, Laggala,
Rantota, Dambulla, Gallewela, Sigiriya, Gampola, Nawalapitiya Hatton, Maskeliya,
Bogawantalawa, Puttalama and Talawakelle. Fires were difficult to control because they
were breaking out in remote areas and being aided by the dry weather. Blazes were caused
by various factors including hunters setting fire to an area of a forest so that animals could be
captured and killed when they flee to another area. The grassland areas of Kandy and Matale
are the area’s most prone to forest fires. Forest fires in Sri Lanka are man-made, throughaccident or design (Figure 25) and figure 26 showing forest fire of Ella area in 2019.

Figure 25 Main reason for forest fire in Sri Lanka

Figure 26 Forest fire of Ella in 2019

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)19

3. DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
3.1 Administration System in the country.
Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic
republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government,
and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative
power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Parliament has 225 members,
196 members elected in multi-seat constituencies and 29 by proportional representation.
The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament.
Parliament reserves the power to make all laws.
Mainly, Sri Lanka have three levels in the political and administrative level. They are
National, Provincial and local authority level. Under the national government all cabinet
and non cabinet ministries are governing all the national and Grama Niladari (smallest
administrative unit) level administration affairs. However, provincial level provincial
government is consisted of provincial level ministries. Under those ministries, several
government institutions such as provincial level schools, hospital, and some government
department are servicing to the people.
Sri Lanka is divided in to 25 districts based on administration prospects and each district isadministered under a District Secretary, who is appointed by the central government. The
main tasks of the District Secretariat are to coordinate, implement and communicate
activities of the central government Through Divisional Secretariats.
The
District
Secretariat is also responsible for implementing and monitoring development projects atthe district level and assisting lower-level subdivisions in their activities, as well as
revenue collection and coordination of elections in the district. A district is divided into a
number of Divisional Secretary Divisions (commonly known as DS divisions), which are also
subdivided into Grama Niladari Divisions.
3.2 Disaster Management Legal System / Framework
Ministry of Disaster Management is the one of vital important ministry in the country
which is mandated for disaster management activities. Disaster Management Centre,
National Disaster Relief Service Centre, National Building Research Organization and
Department of Meteorology are being functioning under the Ministry of Disaster
Management. The main administration system for disaster management of the country
operates under the central government and through the Ministry of Disaster Management.
Link for more details- http://www.disastermin.gov.lk/web/
3.3 Disaster Management Policy
The National Policy on Disaster Management (the ‘Policy’) is a core component of Sri
Lanka’s national regime for disaster management. It articulates agreed overarching
principles and preferred outcomes for disaster management in Sri Lanka. It also provides
policy directives to address the issues such as inadequate coordination among stakeholder
agencies, duplication of efforts and insufficient policy directives to reduce the human andeconomic impacts of disasters which were identified in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami
and the other recent disaster situations.
ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)20

The 2005 Parliament Select Committee on Natural Disasters recommended formulation ofa national policy to manage disasters after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The Disaster
Management Act, No.13 of 2005 (the ‘Act’) provides that the National Council for Disaster
Management (the ‘Council’) shall formulate such a policy.1 Its preparation was the first
listed of 60 outcomes for the period 2006-2016 under the document Towards a Safer Sri
Lanka: A Road Map for Disaster Management (‘the Road Map’). In accordance with theRoad Map, the Ministry of Disaster Management, as Secretariat of the Council, led a
consultative process to formulate the Policy with input and guidance from relevant
agencies and stakeholders. More details please access the fallowing link.
http://www.disastermin.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/dm%20policy%20full%20ver.pdf
3.4 Disaster Management Act (DM Act)The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No.13 of 2005 is the main legal document fordisaster management in Sri Lanka and it was enacted in July 2005 which provides the legal
basis for instituting a disaster risk management system in the country. The National Council
for Disaster Management (NCDM) is a high-level policy making body for safe the country
from any calamities. The chairman and vice chairman of the NCDM is H.E. The President and
Hon Prime Minister respectively. Other members are Leader of the Opposition, Ministers incharge of 20 selected subject areas, Provincial Council Chief Ministers and five members of
the Opposition (Figure 27). The Act also provides for establishing the Disaster Management
Centre (DMC) under the Council to be the apex body for the purpose of planning, cocoordinating and implementing of certain natural and other forms of disasters.

Figure.27 Structure of National Disaster Management Council

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Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No.13 of 2005 provides for a framework for DRM in Sri
Lanka and addresses Disaster Management (DM) holistically, leading to a policy shift from
response based mechanisms to a proactive approach towards disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Twenty-one hazards come under the purview of the act.
(a) a landslide;(b) a cyclone;(c) a flood;(d) a drought,(e) an industrial hazard;(f) a tsunami (seismic wave);(g) an earthquake;(h) an air hazard;(i) a maritime hazard;(j) a fire;(k) an epidemic;(l) an explosion;(m) air raids;(n) civil or internal strife;(o) chemical accident;(p) radiological emergency;(q) oil spills including inland and marine oil spills;(r) nuclear disaster;(s) urban and forest fire;(t) coastal erosion; and(u) tornados, lightning strikes and severe thunder storms;
In addition to the above gazetted disasters, Dam breach, Animal attacks, Drowning and Road
accidents are identified as major threat to the human being in the country. More details
please access the fallowing link.
Link- http://www.dmc.gov.lk/attchments/DM%20Act%20English.pdf
DMC was established in July 2005 (Figure 28).

.
Figure 28: Structure of the Disaster Management Centre

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District Disaster Management Coordinating Unit (DDMCUs) has established under theDisaster Management Center for the coordination of local level disaster management
activities. By this time, under the National Disaster Relief service Centre has been
appointed officer at divisional level to coordinate disaster management activities. DDMCU
is doing disaster management activities under the supervision of District Secretary
In December 2005 the Ministry for Disaster Management and Human Rights (M/DM&HR)
was established with the subject of DM listed under its purview. The principal functions of
the Disaster Management Centre as per the act are as follows.
1) Assisting the Council in the preparation of the National Disaster Management Plan

and the National Emergency Operation Plan and proposals for upgrading the same
when it becomes necessary2) Taking responsibility for the implementation of the National Disaster Management

Plan and the National Emergency Operation Plan, and upon the declaration of astate of disaster to direct and coordinate the implementation of the National
Emergency Operation plan3) Ensuring that the various Disaster Management Plans prepared by Ministries,

Government Departments or public corporations conforms to the National Disaster
Management Plan
4) Based on Disaster Management Plans prepared by various Ministries, Government

Departments and public corporations under section 10, preparing andimplementing programs and plans for disaster preparedness, mitigation,
prevention, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and coordinating oforganizations which implement such programs and plans and obtain financial
assistance from the Treasury for such activities and release the same to therelevant regions and monitor and evaluate these activities
5) Issuing

instructions and guidelines to appropriate organizations, nongovernmental organizations, district secretaries and divisional secretaries on
activities relating to disaster management and initiating and implementing work
programs in co-ordination with such organizations and secretaries

6) Promoting researchand development programs in
relation
to disastermanagement and setting up and maintaining a data base on disaster management

7) Submitting reports to the Council from time to time and whenever required by theCouncil in regard to its activities.
8) To implement the above functions, the Disaster Management Centre has organized

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The disaster Coordination and Early Warning Mechanism form national to sub national levelis shown below figure 29 and Figure 30.

Overall Coordination

Figure 29: Overall Emergency Response Coordination Flowchart

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Figure 30: Early Warning Coordination framework

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3.5 National Disaster Management Plan (2013 -2017)
Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No.13 of 2005 provides for the development of National
Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) as the overall guiding document consisting of all phasesof disaster management cycle, namely, mitigation, preparedness, response, coordination ofrelief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
NDMP incorporates all aspects such as, institutional mandates and institutional
development; hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment; multi-hazard early warning systems;
disaster preparedness and response planning; disaster mitigation and integration intodevelopment planning; community-based disaster management; public awareness, relief,
immediate recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction; education and training. Plans andpolicies of the related sectors covering the subjects as indicated in the Act have been taken
into account in preparation of this plan.
All state sector agencies, provincial councils and local authorities will have to develop theInstitutional Disaster Management Plan (IDMP) based on the NDMP. The users of this plan
would be all stakeholders; officials of sub-national administration – at Provincial, Local
Authority, District, Divisional and Grama Niladari levels; relevant officers and personnel from
Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, community leaders etc, have been
consulted and their comments were incorporated. This document will be useful in developing
the response and preparedness capacity of the country.

3.6 National Emergency Operation Plan
The objective of establishing a NEOP is to maintain a sustainable mechanism/system,
resources, capabilities and guiding principles with the collaboration of all relevant
stakeholders, for responding to a disaster or emergency situation if and when they occur, inorder to save lives, property and environment; minimize harm and ensure physical andpsychological health of the survivors; and immediate recovery of essential services.
The necessity of a National Emergency Operation Plan (NEOP) was discussed after the 2004
tsunami and documented as far back as 2005 in the Disaster Management Act, No.13 of 2005.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was endowed with the task of preparing the NEOP
as required by the Act.

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National Emergency Operations Plan facilitates,assigning responsibilities for organizations and individuals to carry out specific actions at
projected times and places in an emergency that exceeds the capability or routine
responsibility of any one agency.
lines of authority and organizational relationships, and demonstrates how all actions are to
be coordinated.
Protection of people and property in emergencies and disasters.
the utilization of personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources identified
under National and sub-national level Disaster Preparedness Plans for use during response
and recovery operations.
actions to minimize the impact of disasters during response and recovery activities.
Inter/intra-regional cooperation.

3.7 Institutional Disaster Management Plan
All responsible Ministries and departments, agencies will be required to develop a DM Plan
as a part of the total DM Plan within the framework of the National Plan and the National
Policy. Technical agencies responsible for different technological hazards. All national andprovincial educational establishments including schools, universities, technical colleges,
training establishments etc. (private & public). All national and provincial health institutions
including hospitals, clinics, training schools, health facilities, etc. (private & public). Private /government agencies including hotels / inns, offices, factories, commercial establishments
etc. These would include production factories involving explosives, hazardous materials,
chemicals, such storage places etc. In addition, there would be the vital government agencies
responsible for public services and infrastructure facilities. DMC will facilitate in developing
these plans by providing guidance notes, general coverage, necessary circulars tonational/provincial ministries and awareness workshops. DMC will coordinate and monitor
adherence and progress.
In addition, representatives from National, Provincial and District level offices of service
providing agencies will be serving in the disaster management committees at the respective
levels. These agencies, in addition to their DM Plans for their respective agencies, will have arole in the DM Plan at the given administrative level and will have Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) detailing out activities to assist National, Provincial and District level
administrations in an emergency situation after a disaster.

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3.8 A Road Map for Disaster Risk Management“Towards a Safer Sri Lanka: A Road Map for Disaster Risk Management” is the master plan fordisaster management in Sri Lanka. DMC has been accorded the lead role in directing thestrategic planning process for disaster prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. A
comprehensive DRM framework for Sri Lanka will unify the efforts of all agencies working invarious sectors across all regions and levels of development activity. The DMC has
prepared the road Map to identify and coordinate multi stakeholder efforts in the next 10
years through a holistic strategy. According to the Road Map it is focused on seven thematiccomponents which are consistent with ongoing and past efforts in the field of disaster risk
management and development planning, and as in the Hyogo Framework of Action
20052015. The seventh thematic components are as follows.

1. Policy, Institutional Mandates, and Institutional Development
2. Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
3. Tsunami & Multi- hazard Early Warning Systems
4. Preparedness and Response Plans
5. Mitigation and Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Development Planning
6. Community-based Disaster Risk Management
7. Public Awareness, Education and Training
The projects and activities for disaster management of the country are based on above seventh
components.

Link for more details- http://www.dmc.gov.lk/Publications/Road_Map_Volume_2.pdf

3.9 Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan (CDMP)
Sri Lanka comprehensive Disaster Management Plan 2014-2018, was introduced in new readmap for DRM activities by Ministry of Disaster Management. It is mainly focused on next fiveyear disaster management countermeasures and Disaster Risk Reduction program hope tobe carried out by Sri Lankan government. In the comprehensive Disaster Management Planclearly identified the 45 institutions which are contributed their service when its
implementation. Currently the plan has been taken the approval from National Planning
Department and the cabinet of Sri Lanka. UNDP and the Treasury funds will be used for the
implementation.
Link for more detailshttp://www.dmc.gov.lk/NDMCC/presentations/Comprehensive%20Disaster%20Managemen
t%20Plan%20for%20Sri%20Lanka2.pdf
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4. DISASTER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES
4.1.

National Disaster Management Coordination Committee (NDMCC)

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a cross-cutting and complex issue. Therefore, it requires
political and legal commitment, public understanding, scientific knowledge, carefuldevelopment planning, responsible enforcement of policies and legislation, people
centered early warning systems, and effective disaster preparedness and response
mechanisms. A multi-stakeholder national coordination for DRR can provide or mobilize
the combined knowledge, skills, and resources required for DRR and its mainstreaming intodevelopment policies, planning and programs.
Under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management the NDMCC’sroles and responsibilities are:•

It is a national mechanism by which the country can address inter-related social,economical and environmental problems;•

It supports the identification of urgent needs in the area of DRR, allocating resources,
presenting time table for actions and monitoring and reviewing the implementationof DRR activities in line with HFA and Road Map;•

It works towards better resourced, effective and integrated DRR efforts amongst
national stakeholders and amongst national, regional and international organizations.
It supports development goals, by providing a framework for systematic thought andcommitment to priority actions across sectors and the territory;•

It serves as catalyst for national consultations and consensus building, as well as for
DRR priority identification and policy formulation, implementation and monitoring
DRR activities. The emphasis should be on managing progress towards DRR objectives
rather than producing a “Plan” as an end product; and•It facilitates the allocation of resources from donors, development banks, and UN
agencies that are not represented in their respective countries. This can be advancedby advocating the importance and necessity for UN country offices to support the
integration
of
DRR
into
UN
backeddevelopment
programs.
http://www.dmc.gov.lk/index_ndmcc.htm

4.1.1 Primary activities of NDMCC•

Establishing baseline information for DRR, including disaster and risk profiles, national
policies, strategies, capacities, resources and programs;
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Identify targets, gaps, concerns and challenges and setting forth accepted priority
areas in DRR; Advocating the urgent need for developing or adopting policies andlegislations for DRR;•

Benchmarking progress made in promoting DRR and its mainstreaming intodevelopment policies, planning and programmers;•

Developing result-oriented work plan for National DM Coordination Committee tocoordinate the DRR activities in line with the HFA and “Road Map for Disaster Risk
Management; Towards a Safer Sri Lanka”;•

Coordinating joint efforts among members of National DM Coordination Committee
to reduce the vulnerability of people at relatively high risk;•

Monitoring, recording and reporting of DRR actions at national and community levels
in line with HFA and “Road Map for Disaster Risk Management; Towards a Safer Sri
Lanka”;•

Documenting lessons learned and good practices, and share the findings at national,
regional and international levels;•

Working towards better integration of DRR into national planning, policies andprograms in development and humanitarian assistance;•

Initiate the Community Based/Led Disaster Management (CBDM) approach atnational level to strengthen community’s decision making process.

4.2.

Emergency Response Committee (ERC)

The Emergency Response Committee consists of representatives appointed from all
emergency response organizations such as tri-Forces, Police, Fire Brigade, Water Supply andDrainage Board and Electricity Board, etc. Main agencies will respond and also coordinate
through their line agencies to assist immediately at a disaster.

4.3. Involvement of United Nations, Red Cross Movement & Other Humanitarian Agencies
The UN agencies, most of which also have pre-existing development-focused relationships
with Member States, provide sector-specific support and expertise before, during and after adisaster. The main UN agencies with humanitarian mandates include FAO, IOM, OCHA, UNDP,UNFPA, UNHCR, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, UN Women, WFP and WHO, which support disaster
response across needs, from shelter, protection, food security, health, nutrition, educationand livelihoods to common services like Coordination, logistics and telecommunications.

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United Nations General Assembly resolution 46/182 defines the role of the United Nations(UN) in coordinating international humanitarian assistance when a Government requests
external support. The resolution establishes a number of UN mechanisms to strengthen
effectiveness of international humanitarian action, namely, the Central Emergency Response
Fund (CERF), the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP), the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC)
and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). SLRCS is generally the first point of contact
for the Government requesting additional support from IFRC (in natural disasters) and ICRC
(in situations of armed conflict). The SLRCS works alongside national and local publicauthorities through their branch network mobilizing trained volunteers in disaster situations.
The SLRCS will acquire adequate resources through the RC movement components uponrequest of the government or based on the severity of the event.
International NGOs operating in emergency preparedness and response include
humanitarian organizations and multi-mandated organizations that operate independently toprovide humanitarian assistance. Many organizations operating in Sri Lanka with groundpresence will coordinate with DMC and the Ministry of Disaster Management in providing
emergency response services based on ground needs. Oxfam, Consortium of Humanitarian
Agencies, World Vision, Handicap International etc., are some of agencies which provide
these services and can be mobilized at the request of DMC based on the needs of theaffected population. Further these agencies will coordinate with their international arms toattend to the activities described in the NEOP before, during and after. Any professionals andorganizations can be engaged with processes based on the severity of the emergency inaccordance with the NEOP with the approval of Disaster Management Centre. The Disaster
Management Centre will closely coordinate their engagement.

5.DISASTER INSURANCE IN SRI LANKA
During last few years Sri Lanka had faced Natural disasters as a result loss of humanlife and damages to property has been significant. Such to overcome such issues toprotect entire country against natural disasters, Natural Disaster Insurance Scheme
was implemented through NITF, since 01/04/2016 (Figure 31).

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Figure .31: Insurance policy web site in Sri Lanka

Covers lives and properties, specifically all households and small business establishments(any business of which annual turnover does not exceed LKR 10 M) covered up to 2.5 million
rupees each in respect of damages (per event) caused to their property and contents due to
Cyclones, Storm, Tempest, Flood, Land slide, Hurricane, Earthquake, Tsunami and any othersimilar natural perils, excluding Drought. All Fishermen registered under Department of
Fisheries will be covered to the value of Rs.1 Million each.
Limitations
o Death compensation other than fisherman death - Rs. 100,000.00
o Property damage (House and SME) - Max Rs.2.5 Mn
o Fisherman death - Rs. 1,000,000.00 (1 Mn)
More details please access the fallowing link.
Link- http://www.nitf.lk/National%20Natural%20Disaster.html

6. PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION (SFA)(2015 - 2030)
6.1 The Four Priorities for Action
Priority 1. Understanding disaster risk
Disaster risk management should be based on an understanding of disaster risk in all its
dimensions of vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and assets, hazard characteristics
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and the environment. Such knowledge can be used for risk assessment, prevention,
mitigation, preparedness and response.
Priority 2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk
Disaster risk governance at the national, regional and global levels is very important for
prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. It fosters
collaboration and partnership.
Priority 3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
Public and private investment in disaster risk prevention and reduction through structuraland non-structural measures are essential to enhance the economic, social, health andcultural resilience of persons, communities, countries and their assets, as well as theenvironment.
Priority 4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back
Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
The growth of disaster risk means there is a need to strengthen disaster preparedness forresponse, take action in anticipation of events, and ensure capacities are in place for
effective response and recovery at all levels. The recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
phase is a critical opportunity to build back better, including through integrating disaster risk
reduction into development measures.
6.2 Achievements of the HFA and SFA
Disaster management in Sri Lanka became a mainstream subject after 1990, when the
country endorsed the UN supported International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction in
1989. After 2005, with the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action(HFA), a more
systematic legal and institutional setup for disaster management was established in the
country. During the HFA era, Sri Lanka enacted the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No13
of 2005 giving provisions to form the National Council for Disaster Management under thechairmanship of His Excellency the President to take all policy decisions pertaining to disasterrisk management; the Ministry of Disaster Management to oversee the administrative roles;
and Disaster Management Centre to coordinate and operationalize the policy decisions takenby the Council. HFA progress reports both from the government and the civil society show
remarkable achievements the country has made in many HFA priorities; especially in priority
1 and 5. However, we also acknowledge the low performance with relevant to Priority 4 of
the HFA. Therefore, the main focus now is on identifying and addressing underlying risk
factors of disasters.
We also believe that sustainable development can never be possible unless we takeproactive measures to correct our own decisions and actions. We, Sri Lanka, believe that
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction leads the way to show us how disaster risk
reduction could be achieved, which is essential to make the development gains sustainable.
Our challenge is to gradually strengthen our focus on managing disaster risks rather thanmanaging disasters.
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We have already taken measures to develop a national action plan and review our existing
legal and institutional framework in the view of the Sendai Framework. Ministry has alreadytaken initiatives to review the existing legal and institutional framework and to identify anappropriate legal and institutional framework in the context of Sendai Framework. It isplanned to develop country’s next National Disaster Management Plan in line with theSendia Framework. We are currently implementing a five-year national program titled “SriLanka Comprehensive Disaster Management Program”, which is also meant to mainstream
disaster risk reduction into sectoral development plans of various other Ministries andagencies. Demonstrating the government’s commitment to disaster risk reduction,
Government has already approved and financed over Rs. 10 Billion worth of project under
the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program.
However, being an island nation, Sri Lanka’s progress in sustainable development ischallenged by both climate change induced and other geo physical disasters making
serious threat to the economic development of the country.
The May 2016 floods and landslides disasters that affected almost 23 of 25 districts of thecountry accounted over Rs. 100 Billion worth damages and losses; most of those belong to
the country’s economic hub. Part of the Colombo city and suburbs went under water
inundating over 40,000 houses. However, we managed to evacuate all the people without
a single loss of life. The recent drought has seriously affected the livelihoods of rural
farmers which necessitated drought relief on a large scale. Climate change predictions
suggest an increasing frequency and exacerbated impact from such events in the future.
The government introduced a risk transfer mechanism through the National Insurance TrustFund to cover all the houses and small to medium business enterprises in Sri Lanka against
natural disasters. The total annual premium of the insurance policy amounting to Rs. 300
million is paid by the government.
Our success in facing such challenges rely on our commitment in understanding disaster risks,adequacy of our governance systems in addressing disaster risks, our commitment ininvesting in disaster risk reduction and our preparedness to face any unforeseen disasters aswell as our preparedness for resilient recovery. These are core priorities of the Sendai
Framework. It is also necessary that we build synergy between disaster risk reduction andclimate risk reduction. Sri Lanka would like to re-emphasize our commitments to implement
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and provide our fullest support to regional
initiatives to achieve our common goals in disaster risk reduction.
Sri Lanka always believe that challenges faced by us today and in the future could be bettercombatted by increased cooperation among nations. The agreements came into force in2015 such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), Sendai Framework and Paris
Agreement are for such common course. We as a signatory to the Paris Agreement
welcome the commitment made by other countries in the region to support achieving
emission targets. We are thankful to SAARC secretariat for facilitating an agreement on
Rapid Response to Natural Disasters among member countries and initiating a program topromote Child Centered Disaster Risk Reduction in South Asia in line with the Sendai
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Framework. We also believe that for the meaningful implementation of the Sendai
Framework and other agreements and frameworks, we need to look for ways to improve
the technical cooperation of the countries, in terms of research, information sharing
including satellite imagery for risk assessment, disaster preparedness and recovery andalso on lessons sharing. Those will enhance our efforts in implementing the Sendai
Framework and achieve sustainable development.
National Planning Department of the Ministry of Finance has agreed to consider DRR in
approving development plans provided guidelines are developed for such a process. DMC
is working with Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and other agencies to develop suchguidelines. National Water Supply and Drainage Board has initiated implementation ofaugmentation program in western, central, and southern provinces. New water supply
schemes are being developed for northern and eastern provinces. NDMCC meets regularly
and discuss programs implemented by members and policy requirements to make theimplementation more effective. Hazard cycle for Sri Lanka has been developed and given
to district administration to prepare disasters such as floods, landslides and cyclones.
Nearly 40% of the activities identified in the Road Map have been commenced.
DM Act is being modified giving more authority to DMC for coordination of DM Activities.
Draft Act has been forwarded to Attorney general Department. Disaster
Management concepts were included in the Local Government (LG) policy which has been
approved by the govt. DMC has already provided disaster concerns to be incorporated in to
the act based on the LG policy. Development DM plans for Northern Province has beencommenced. Training of officials in Government and LG sector on DM and development ofplans commenced.
DMC with the assistance of Urban Development Authority, practical Action and ADPC hascommenced three pilot projects in southern and eastern provinces to prepare urban
development plans for selected towns. UDA has agreed to issue instructions to planning
officers to follow Guidelines developed in future urban development planning process.
Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in to housing is being undertaken with the assistanceof ADPC. All agencies in state sector were involved.
Training program conducted for technical Officers in the Eastern province to introduce theguidelines developed for construction of disaster resistance buildings. Building application
used by Local Authorities for approval of land subdivision plans and building plans arebeing modified with the Concurrence of UDA to included DRR concepts. Draft format has
been submitted to UDA for their consideration. Environment Authority invites DMC for the
meetings where EIA reports are discussed. Integrated Strategic Environment Assessment(ISEA) for the Northern Province is been developed with the assistance of all stakeholders.
Proposed development plans are incorporated in the ISEA and areas for development are
been identified. Discussions are in progress with relevant development agencies to identify
conflict areas and find solutions. Hazard maps for landslides in Nuwaraeliya districts were
given to agencies involved in development and development control and officers weretrained for the used hazard maps.
More detail also can be obtained by using fallowing references.

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7. COUNTERPART OF ADRC
Disaster Management Center
Ministry of Disaster Management
Vidya Mawatha,
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
www.dmc.gov.lk
Tel. +94112136136/+94112670002
Fax. +94112670075/+94112670025

8. References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Disaster Management Act No 13 of 2005.
Disaster Management Policy of 2014.
National Disaster Management Plan. (2013-2017).
National Emergency Operation Plan 2016 -2020
Sri Lanka National Report on Disaster Risk, Poverty and Human Development Relationship.2015.

6. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preparedness
7. Ministry of Disaster Management. (2014) Sri Lanka Comprehensive Disaster Management
Programme, (2014-2018), Government of Sri Lanka, March, 2014.
8. http://www.disastermin.gov.lk/web/
9. http://www.dmc.gov.lk
10. http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/?cid=162
11. http://www.meteo.gov.lk
12. http://www.treasury.gov.lk/FPPFM/fpd/pdfdocs/annualReport2010/AnnualReport2010-eng.pdf
13. http://www.nitf.lk/Home.htm
14. http://www.nbro.gov.lk/web/15. http://www.ndrsc.gov.lk/web/

ADRC: Country Report - Sri Lanka by A.M.R.N.K.Alahakoon Assistant Director - District (DMC)