Ms. A.M.J.D.K Mudalige from Sri Lanka
I am Janaki Mudalige, and I am the District
DisasterManagementCoordinator

attheDisaster Management Centre in Kegalle District,located in the central part of Sri Lanka. I started
my career as a scientist in 1994 and I joined toDisasaster Management Centre in 2006. I am
currently serving as a Visiting Researcher at
ADRC in Kobe.
Sri Lanka has experienced several natural disasters such as floods, droughts, andlandslides, it has a lower incidence of natural disasters than other countries. Therewere remarkable levels of flooding and landslides in 2003, and in the following year,
2004, Sri Lanka suffered its most devastating event: the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Thereafter, the government took steps to strengthen its disaster management system soas to minimize the damage to lives and properties that would be caused by futurenatural disasters. As a result, the parliament passed the Disaster Management Act on
13 May 2005. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was established immediately
thereafter, and the Ministry of Disaster Management was formed in January, 2006.
Since then, the DMC has served as a pioneer in the field of disaster management,
conducting rapid assessments, implementing efforts to raise awareness, and promoting
preparedness and mitigation activities all over the country.
The ADRC's Visiting Researcher (VR) Program affords me a great opportunity to
conduct research on disaster reduction. The sharing of information and experienceswith fellow ADRC member will give enable me to help develop a strategic approach tothe promotion of safer communities. For these reasons and more, I am impressed withthe program and I am delighted and honored to have been chosen to serve as a visiting
researcher. The experiences I have had during my stay have been tremendously helpful.
Japan has achieved an amazing level of development, and is implementing an
impressive portfolio of mitigation and preparedness measures. Looking around, one canreadily see the care and commitment of Japan's local communities and government
agencies with regard to the protection of the environment, forests, water supply, airquality, and surroundings. Japan's role in the field of disaster management isparticularly impressive because of the country's vast experiences in facing severedisasters, including the atomic bomb attack during World War II. Japan's disaster risk
reduction plans, programs, development projects, and efforts to build a resilient
community are exemplary of good government leadership.
During my stay, I will also be able to immerse myself in traditional Japanese culture byparticipating in various festivals and tasting many Japanese foods. It will be my great
pleasure to develop friendships with many students and other local residents. I lookforward to taking all of the skills and disaster management knowledge that I gain
through this VR Program and putting them to good use back at my workplace in Sri
Lanka by sharing them with my colleagues.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to the government of Japan and the ADRC,
both its management and staff, for all the support that has been extended to me and tothe Sri Lankan government and for allowing me to have such a fruitful experience inJapan.
In this regard, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the government of Japanand the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), both its management and staff, forall the support that has been extended to me and to the Philippines, and for allowing meto have such a fruitful experience in Japan.