Sri Lanka
Country Report
1999

W.B.J.Fernando
Director,

National Disaster Management Centre
Ministry of Social Services
Government of Sri Lanka

Contents
Ⅰ．INTRODUCTION
Ⅱ．Major Natural Disasters of Sri Lanka.
1. Floods
2. Landslides
3. Droughts
4. Cyclones
5. Sea Erosion
6. Earthquakes
Ⅲ．DISASTER MITIGATION IN SRI LANKA
1. Flood Mitigation
2. Erosion control strategies
Ⅳ．The National Disaster Reduction and Management Policy and Programme
1. Civil Defence Organizations and Their Activities
2. The Role of Volunteers and Non-Governmental Organizations for Disaster Preparedness and Relief
Ⅴ．Assessment of Capacities and Need Identification : Obstacles to counter Measures, Disasters, Disaster Emergency
Management, Relief and Recovery
1. Lack of Training and Education in the Disaster Management field
2. Lack of Funds
3. No Special Package of Assistance to the Disaster Victims
4. Delay of the Relief Distribution Channels
5. Inadequate Search and Rescue Operations
Ⅵ．Conclusion
Ⅶ．Annexures
Annexure I : Proportion of Number of Affected Families by disaster- 1995
Annexure II: OCCURRANCE OF NATURAL DISASTER AND ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR RELIEF ANDREHABILITATION ACTIVITIES FOR 1981 - 1997

Annexure II: OCCURRANCE OF NATURAL DISASTER AND ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR RELIEF ANDREHABILITATION ACTIVITIES FOR 1981 - 1997
Annexure III: FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF SRI LANKA (DURING THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON RAINS)
Annexure IV: FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF SRI LANKA (DURING THE NORTHEAST MONSOON RAINS)
Annexure V : MAJOR FLOODS IN COLOMBO
Annexure VI
Annexure VII: EROSION TRENDS IN THE SELECTED REACHES OF THE COAST LINE OF SRI LANKA.
Annexure VIII : MASTER PLAN FOR COAST EROSION MANAGEMENT
Annexure IX: NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTER MISSION STATEMENT
Annexure X: Proposed Institutional Framework for National Disaster Management
Annexure XI: NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Annexure XII: Sri Lanka: Disaster Reduction and Management Programmes and Projects
Annexuere XIII: Sri Lanka – Status of disaster Preparedness

Ⅰ．INTRODUCTION
Sri Lanka is an Island with a land area of 65,610 square kilometers. It is situated between the 5.55and 9.51N,
79.41 and 81.54 E. The Island is 224 Km wide and 432 Km long at its furthest point. The mean temperature in
most parts of the Island ranges from 26 to 28C. The relative humidity varies generally from about 70% during the
day to about 90 - 95% night in the Southwest quadrant; in the dry zone parts of Northwest and Southwest,
humidity does down to about 60%. Rainfall occurs in Sri Lanka during the Southwest and Northeast monsoons.
During the Southwest monsoon (mid may to September) rainfall is mainly confined to the Southwest of the Island, whereas during the Northeast monsoon (October to February) rainfall occurs in the North and East of the Island.
Sri Lanka’s economy is mainly agricultural, based on the production and export of tea, rubber, coconut, garments,
gems and minor export crops. Paddy is the main domestic crop, and rice is the staple food of the people, Foreign
employment and tourism play an important role in the economy of the country.
Sri Lanka’s population is 18.3 million in 1996; around 79% of the population live in rural areas. Buddhism is themain religion of Sri Lanka. Around 69% of the population are Buddhists and the rest belong to Christianity,
Hinduism and Islam. Sri Lanka is a Socialist Democratic Republic headed by the Executive president. The country
is divided into nine Provincial Councils, 25 Districts, and into 264 Divisions for the purpose of administration.

Ⅱ．Major Natural Disasters of Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka, floods, Landslides, Cyclones, Droughts, Wind storms and coastal erosion are the main causes for
Natural Disasters. (Annexure I) These natural disasters have caused loss of life, and enormous damage anddestruction to property. (Annexure II) In addition to these natural disasters, the country also incurs heavy toll on
account of man made disasters such as deforestation, indiscriminate coral, sand and gem mining, and industrial
hazards besides ethnic conflicts and occasional political violence in the recent past.

1. Floods
Floods are more of a common occurrence in Sri Lanka than the other natural disasters (Annexure III, IV, V) .The
water resources map of 1959 identified 103 river basins of which about 10 rivers are considered as major. Amongthese major rivers Kalani, Gin, Nilwala and Mahaweli are vulnerable to floods. The increase in population andsubsequent need for land have forced more and more people to live and work 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 the green house effect, topical countries are expected to get less annual rainfall, but increased
rainfall intensities. The average annual rainfall ranges from 500 mm. to 800 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, while Ampara, Trincomalee, Badulla, Polonnaniwa,
Batticaloa, Matale and Monaragala suffer from the Northeast rains.

2. Landslides
Heavy rains and geological changes in the hill country, accentuated by the indiscriminate clearance of steep slopesin the mountainous areas, have increased the occurrences of frequent landslides especially during the last two
decades in the mountain slopes of the Central and South Western regions of the Island. Landslides like any othernatural disaster are a concern to us as they threaten the life and property of the people in the hill slopes. The
landslides of January 1986 and again those of may and June 1989 surpassed all previous landslides in recent
memory, on all counts of the extent of damage and personal tragedy. The 1986 January landslides were by far themost damaging one, claiming 51 lives, rendering nearly 100 families homeless and affecting more or less all theseven landslide-prone districts of the hill country. A little over three years later, that was in may and June 1989,
the landslide events surpassed all the earlier events in severity and magnitude, claiming more than 300 lives,
rendering a large number of poor families homeless over an extensive part of the hill country. Most recently,
October 1993, the landslide at Helauda in Ratnapura district resulted in the loss of 29 lives and destruction ofmany houses. A staggering statistics for the total loss due to landslide in 1989 alone was estimated to be in theregion of Rs. 142 million.

3. Droughts
Recently that is in 1996, We have experienced one of the serious droughts which has resulted in even interruption
to power supply causing much hardships to people and serious effects to the National Economy. Every year,
somewhere in the country, some people are faced with droughts of short-duration which are only of local
significance and they are seldom reported. Drought of regional significance do occur once in every 3 to 4 years.
Severe droughts of national significance occur after a considerable period of time, within 10 years or so. After thesevere drought of 1935-1937, the other severe droughts of national significance occurred during the periods 19471949, 1953-1956, 1965, 1974-1977, 1981-1983, 1985 and in 1995-1996. Of all these major droughts, those occurred
during the periods 1953-1956, 1974-1977, 1981-1983 and 1995-1996 had caused major set backs to the economy.
Although droughts cannot be classified as sudden disasters, they do cause hardship and financial loss mostly tofarmers. In the drought of 1996, 181,095 families in 17 districts were baldly affected.

4. Cyclones
Sri Lanka has been affected mostly by cyclone activity occurring in the Bay of Bengal. The Eastern, Northern andNorth Central regions are the cyclone prone areas of Sri - Lanka. Although cyclones do not occur frequently in Sri
Lanka, these are not totally 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 the past 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.
(Annexure VI)

5. Sea Erosion
Sri Lanka has a coastline of 1585 km. More than half of her 18.3 million population live in village, town and citiesof the coastal district. The economic importance of the coastal areas has increased further with the rapid
urbanization, the development of commercial harbours (Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee). Fishing harbours andanchorage, 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 coast erosion. The
most critically affected areas are those between Kalpitiya in the Northwest and Matara in the South. (AnnexureVII) 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 ofproperty and infrastructure facilities, and development efforts.

6. Earthquakes
Earthquakes in living memory have not caused disasters in Sri Lanka. There is a record of some several hundredsof people killed in the Seventeenth century, when sea encroached inland western coastal areas near Colombo. We
do not have evidence how this sea level rise took place more than 2000 years ago. It could well be due to Tsunamis
or a tidal wave resulting from an offshore earthquake that engulfed arid flooded the western coast of Sri Lanka.
We know that at least during the last few decades Sri Lanka has been affected by more than half a dozen
earthquakes offshore the very last being 1953 (5.6 on Richter Scale) 100 Km west of Colombo. We are not living inan area categorized as seismically very active like the Pacific Ocean where such tsunamis are common. But recent(1993) later occurred in a region categorized as safe in India and killed more than 10,000 people. Earthquakes canoccur any time any where in the world without sufficient notice.

Ⅲ．DISASTER MITIGATION IN SRI LANKA
1. Flood Mitigation
Sri Lanka is rich in ancient culture. The hydraulic civilization found in the Dry Zone by ancient Sinhalese Kings
display evidence of remarkable human effort taken to mitigate the drought hazard. The major features of thiscivilization were the construction of an intricate systems of reservoirs for storing water for agriculture. There is no
doubt that the rural population in the dry zone whose survival there today as a result of the timely and properdisaster plans initiated by the ancient monarchs. In the past community lived on the riverbank in perfect harmony
with the nature. The challenges faced by local communities led them to develop their own mechanisms to reducethe impact of the flood. There are two approaches to flood mitigation. One is to take water away from the people
and the other is to take people away from water. The first method is also known as the structural approach; this isadopted along the basins of Kelani, Gin and Nilwala rivers as a measure to control inundation and the consequentdamages. The other approach is the non-structural approach where timely flood warning is given to the people tomove out of the area before the breach of floods. This method is practiced to some extent in the lower Kelani
Ganga, and in the suburbs of Colombo.
Flooding of Kelani Ganga has serious consequences as the outfall being near the capital city of Colombo. When theflood level of Kelani Gamga is between 5 and 7 ft, the flood is defined as a major flood and when it exceeds 9 ft, theflood is considered to be dangerous. The heaviest storm probably occurred in 1832 with maximum recorded heightof 13.5 ft, at Nagalagam and thereafter the occurrences had been in October 1913,
May 1927, May 1928, October 1930, May 1933, May 1936, May 1939, August 1947, October 1966, October 1967,
and July 1989.
During the period of 1930 to 1935 both banks of the Kelani Ganga near the city of Colombo were provided withflood protection bunds. These bands are capable of providing safety to the Colombo city for a 25 year period.
However, due to encroachment and poor maintenance , a complete rehabilitation of this flood protection scheme
has now become absolutely necessary.
The Gin Ganga flood protection scheme was launched in 1975 with the financial support from the People's
Republic of China. Protection is provided against of flood of 10 years return period, and an extent of 5000 ha. of
paddy has been protected from frequent flooding. Ten electrically driven pumping units were installed to cater tothe local drainage on the protected side.
The Nilwala Ganga flood protection scheme was completed in 1993 and it provides protection to 5600 ha. Of paddy
lands with three diesel driven pumping units. Of the three stages of project implementation, only two stages werecompleted leaving out the last stage unattended. Even though the scheme was originally designed for flood
protection, the project was launched to provide drainage facilities for low lying lands and therefore the pumps
have to be run everyday. Due to the non- completion of the third stage of the project and due to several otherreasons, the scheme has not been very successful. The non-completion of the stage 3 of the project has also
increased the flood threat to Matara town. In addition, about 2000 ha. of developed lands are located in the
unprotected area as the location of the newly constructed flood bunds are away from the river banks.
Among the non-structural flood mitigation methods, a flood forecasting system has been introduced only in thecase of Kelani Ganga. Forecasting of water levels in the river is done by means of four upstream gauges and thedata transmission is done with radio equipment. An organizational setup and the necessary standing orders areavailable to facilitate coordination among several institutions during a flood. This scheme prepared in 1968 was
updated by the Irrigation Department in 1993 which can be considered as a comprehensive study to provide a
detailed mitigation plan for the city of Colombo. Ratnapura is a town in the upper basin of Kalu Ganga which is
subjected to frequent flooding. However due to limited travel time of the flood wave, it is not possible to warn thepeople. At present, there is no structural plan to mitigate flood in Kalu Ganga.
Among the structural measures taken during the recent past by the Government to control floods, both Gin Ganga
and Nilwala Ganga flood protection scheme can be highlighted. These two projects are provided with safetymeasures against a flood of 10 year return period.
A flood protection study for Kelani Ganga was done in 1990 under DANIDA aid and this project provided thenecessary computer facilities and software to model Kalani Ganga. Action is being taken by the Department of
Irrigation to prepare a proposal for funding by the world meteorological organization to install a real time flood
forecasting system for Kelani Ganga. This will serve as a pilot project.
It may not be possible to prevent the occurrence of droughts altogether. Nevertheless, there are possibilities tomake adjustments for droughts and mitigate the likely losses. In this regard, first and foremost, efforts must be
made jointly by the state and the people to abstain from interfering recklessly with the natural environment that
accentuates the hazard and its ill effects. People also have to be prepared to cope with droughts as and when theyoccur. In addition to these pre-disaster preparation activities, there has to be an effective mechanism to undertake
post-disaster activities such as.
a. assessment of damage to property
b. assessment of damage to gainful activitiesc. immediate action to provide relief to the droughts victims and rehabilitate them

2. Erosion control strategies

The coast Conservation Department is statutorily responsible for taking mitigatory measures to combat sea
erosion. The strategy adopted is two fold. Where vital infrastructure is threatened, coast protection measures suchas revetments and groynes are constructed. Depending on the urgency, either a planned/designed revetment orprotection is installed or an emergency revetment consisting of mix material is dumped from tipper trucks or inareas of limited access, gabion boxes filled with rubble (150mm - 225mm) would be used. The work is carried out
by the Department.
Such protection measures are classified as short - to - medium term solutions and require annual maintenance.
However these measures specialty revetment may hinder or obstruct the continuance of beach user activities suchas beach since fishing, boat beaching, and even recreation (tourism).
Long-term measures are based on the Coast Erosion Management Plan (CEMP) and the Coastal Zone
Management Plan. Both these plans are now being implemented. The CEMP considers that in the reaches of
erosion prone critical areas termed as key areas (vide Annexure VIII), impacts on the people would be minimized
if a solution is adopted. Storm surges, though not a frequent phenomenon, do occasionally cause large scale
inundation of areas and damage to infrastructure and housing specially in the East. The strategy adopted in thisarea is to delineate setback zones and improve the coastal vegetation.
The Coastal Zone Management Plan (Coastal Erosion Management Plan) seeks to regulate development, bylegally enforcing ‘No-Build-Zone(Setback); these setbacks vary with location and the type of development. With theenforcement of the ‘No-Build-Zone’, through the Coast Conservation Act and its amendments, the pressure on thebeach is reduced. In addition, the Department also undertakes Public Awareness Programmes (PAP) whereby
coastal communities are educated on the basics of coastal resource management, and the need to adapt
appropriate action to minimize the adverse effects of erosion.

Ⅳ．The National Disaster Reduction and Management Policy andProgramme
The Disaster Management in Sri Lanka took a new turn in 1993 when an Action Plan and the Disaster Counter
Measures Bill were prepared. The basic objectives of the Action Plan can be drawn from_ the Act itself. These areas follows;a. Prevention and Mitigation of Disaster,b. Protection of life and property from the effects of Disaster,c. Maintenance and restoration of order in areas effected by disasters,c. Provision of facilities for emergency response, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the event of a disaster,
The plan classified the activities under the following groups:
a. Preparedness action,
b. Relief operation,c. Recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction,
d. Awareness and public education,
The policy framework under which the plan would operate has been spelt out in the plan as follows:a. Introduction of improved professional practices in the areas of agriculture, land use planning, construction andmaintenance;b. Encouragement of participation of non-governmental organization, private institutions and individuals, andsoliciting and directing private donations to recipients in affected areas;c. Fostering scientific and engineering studies (e.g. landslide hazard mapping) as tools for sustainable
development;
d. Shifting of emphasis to pre-disaster planning and preparedness, while sustaining and further improving post disaster relief, recovery and rehabilitation capabilities; ande. Integration of disaster prevention and preparedness in the national as well as sub-national planning process.
In order to Co-Ordinate the Disaster Management work at hamlet, divisional, district and provincial levels, theplan suggests formation of committees at the respective levels. These committees consist of personnel drawn fromthe public and private sectors. The plan also spells out the functions of the National Centre for Disaster
Management. (Annexure IX)The centre was inaugurated in July 1996. This centre functions as the servicing
secretariat of the National Disaster Management Council. (annexure X) The Disaster Management Centre has
been set up under the Sri Lanka Disaster Counter Measures Bill (Annexure XI) The Disaster Management Coordinating Committee is the apex body today for disaster prevention. This committee looks into to the prevention,
mitigation and recovery from disasters. (Annexure XII)The Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Services plays a key role in disaster management.
The subject of disaster Management has now come under the purview of the Ministry of Social Services.
Emergency relief assistance for the victims of disasters is now being rendered and managed by the department ofSocial Services. The rehabilitation and reconstruction functions too are coming under the purview of thedepartment.
The country also has vital institutions such as Provincial Councils, District Secretariats and Divisional
Secretariats at the various levels to prepare and direct recovery activities. The District and Divisional level
Disaster Management Co-Ordinating Committees have been established to monitor disaster management
activities at the district and divisional levels as mentioned in para 4.4 above. The department implements all
prevention, relief and rehabilitation activities through the Divisional Secretariats. The Department and theDivisional Secretariats have middle officers, called the Social Service officers, to assist the Divisional Secretariats
to carry out the prevention and relief work at the Divisional level. These Secretariats also have another grade of
officers viz; Grama Niladaries, Administrative officers at the Village level, to implement the activities relating todisasters in their areas of jurisdiction. The grassroot level Disaster Management Committees have also been
established to co-ordinate all activities pertaining to disasters at the village level.

1. Civil Defence Organizations and Their Activities
In Sri Lanka, Civil Defence organization play a major role in the event of disasters to protect the lives andproperty from such calamities as floods, landslides and cyclones. At the grassroot level, we have the Grama
Niladaries to provide basic assistance with the help of civil Defence organizations. Thereafter, as mentioned above, we have Divisional level institutions called the Divisional Secretariats headed by the Divisional Secretary, whocoordinates all operational activities and the provision of emergency relief in the event of a Disaster. At theDivisional level, he coordinates all disaster functions coming under the Civil Defence organizations. At theprovincial level, we have provincial level Civil Defence Committee which is chaired and coordinated by the chief
Minister. On top of these arrangements, under the proposed Disaster Counter Measures Bill. We have theCommittee under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, to coordinate all activities regarding a disaster at thenational level. The activities of the Civil Defence organizations at various levels can be summarized as follows.
a. Immediately after a disaster, officers are despatched to identify and assist people as quickly as possible.
b. Identify the seriously injured people and assist the community in organizing emergency evacuation for healthtreatment centres.
c. Ensure that the police station functions immediately. The department of Social Services recently established an
information centre to collect and disseminate data on natural and man made disasters.
We have already done substantial work in Sri Lanka in the area of mitigation. To reduce the impact of disasters,
we have structural and nonstructural measures, such as legislation and incentives for people in landslide areas.
(Anexure XIII) However, people are reluctant to move out of their traditional habitats though their area is prone
to landslide. The department provides financial assistance to the people living in the low lying areas in the
Kalutara district to build flood resistance houses. But the programme did not succeed due to the reluctance of thepeople to put their own resources also to implement this type of programmes. Therefore, it has become necessary
to create awareness among the people living in areas prone to disaster like floods, landslides, and severe droughts
to adopt themselves to disaster conditions by accepting the programme which will enable them to live without
becoming disaster victims.

2. The Role of Volunteers and Non-Governmental Organizations for Disaster
Preparedness and Relief
The dependence on volunteer organizations has become inevitable in disaster preparedness and relief programmes
in Sri Lanka. They can respond at short notice to an emergency situation since they don’t have to work throughbureaucratic channels. They can bring in expertise from outside whenever necessary at very short notice. Theirbudgets are fairly flexible. On the other hand , they are at a disadvantage in that they do not have the necessary
authority and at times the official contacts to get things done. The major advantages of the volunteers and NGOO
for disaster preparedness are as follows:a. NGOO can participate with their expertise at the stage of formulation of policy and National Plans.
b. NGOO could be useful in providing necessary material in disaster management such as the provision of food,drugs and clothes.
c. NGOO can provide experts for training of local officials.
d. They can help in the designing and production of information material to the public regarding disaster
preparedness and relief.
e. They can be assigned with specific roles in advance, e.g. Supply of emergency kits and first-aid kits.
f. NGOO can render help in the running of refugee camps.

Ⅴ．Assessment of Capacities and Need Identification : Obstacles tocounter Measures, Disasters, Disaster Emergency Management, Relief
and Recovery

Inadequate Disaster Management Information System: The present system of information flows through thelowest officer of administration, Grama Niladari, to the Divisional Secretariat, and from there to the department
of Social Services. With the occurrence of a disaster, the Grama Niladari collects the information on the damage toproperty and life, and furnishes that to the Divisional Secretariat which in turn transmits it to the department.

The Divisional Secretary has to prepare a complete report including the required funds to cover all relief
assistance, rehabilitation and reconstruction work according to the data submitted by the Social Services officers,
and has to submit the report to the department of Social Services. The present information system on disasters israther weak and ineffective due to several shortcomings and bottle necks such as using obsolete data collecting
methods, lack of modem communication facilities and instruments, inadequate training of the grassroot level
officers and divisional level officers. (Annexure XII)

1. Lack of Training and Education in the Disaster Management field
Lack of training to the relief and rehabilitation workers has been identified as a major challenge. Technicaltraining required for emergency relief activities, training and education for emergency managers and planners at
different levels and awareness for the general public have yet not received adequate attention at the policy
making level, in the preparation of personnel for disaster management. There are no institutional facilities in Sri
Lanka to train emergency managers, create awareness among the general public and volunteers. As a result, relief
and recovery activities cannot be conducted effectively.

2. Lack of Funds
As the funds voted annually to the department of Social Services is limited, the operation of adequately funded
relief and rehabilitation programmes for the victims of disasters is not possible. For example in 1996, theDepartment was allocated with Rs. 110 million to meet relief, recovery and the other requirements of disastervictims; but this amount was not at all sufficient to meet the needs of the victims. Due to financial constraints
faced by the Sri Lanka government, provision of sufficient relief to cope with emergency situations is not possible,
unless Donor Assistance is forthcoming. The victims are unable to obtain necessary compensation for their
damage to property and lives. For instance, the 1993 flood had caused Rs. 554 million damages to private andpublic property, but the government released only Rs. 184 million to meet the requirements of the flood victims.

3. No Special Package of Assistance to the Disaster Victims
In Sri Lanka, there is no special package of assistance designed to suit the requirements of severe disaster victims
except the assistance given by the department of Social Services which is common to victims of all type ofdisasters. It is not always possible to relocate all the persons and property from the vulnerable areas to the safer
areas. The soft loan schemes and special package of assistance for recommencing economic activities if madeavailable will quicken the process of recovery. It is worthwhile to create a safety net in the form of insurance coverfor people and property in the disaster prone areas. This will help the victims and the government.

4. Delay of the Relief Distribution Channels
Public sector assistance for victims of disaster, as seen in the previous paragraphs, are provided through thegovernment institutions such as the department of Social Services, District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries,
and Grama Niladalies. The Divisional Secretary who obtains the allocation of funds from the department of Social
Services provides relief like cooked food, dry rations and other requirements through the co-orperative outlets atthe village level. NGOO and voluntary organizations also distribute relief assistance which are generally
coordinated by the department of Social Services. The distribution of relief is sometimes delayed due to transportdifficulties and damages to roads arising out of a disaster.

5. Inadequate Search and Rescue Operations
The search and rescue operations are vital aspects of emergency response in the event of a disaster that affects thepeople and property. Taking the landslides into consideration, there is no institutional framework which supports
the search and rescue teams at the field level. Normally it is the police and the armed forces who undertake thesearch and rescue operations in the events of landslides, floods, and cyclones, although they have no systematictraining in order to ensure that no additional damage is done to life and property on account of search and rescue
operations. The necessary skills should be imparted to the armed forces, police, voluntary groups and people ineach of the disaster prone areas; and the necessary equipment must also be made available to them so that men
and machinery could be mobilized at the local level immediately to undertake the search and rescue operations
successfully.

Ⅵ．Conclusion
It may appear that the severity and frequency of the natural disasters in Sri Lanka may not be on the same highscales as one finds in some countries. Nevertheless, the damages, hardship and the relocation arising from natural
disasters taken together with the man made disasters including civil conflicts and political violence are indeed
very grave for a small country such as Sri Lanka.

The government of Sri Lanka is therefore deeply committed to turn the tide towards preparedness, to meet any
natural disasters, that will eventually ensure high degree of safety and minimum losses. The policy initiatives andmeasures taken during the last three years, as already discussed in the preceding paragraphs, is indicative of thelong agenda for the years ahead.
It is useful to note that no amount of legislation and institutionalization will provide all the answers to disasters.
What is needed is a plan that will note signals and quickly set in motion a stale of preparedness, to face disasters
and set of action to provide speedy relief to the affected persons and property. This is a responsibility of the entire
country where the government is naturally expected to act as a prime mover action.
Disaster will occur whether we like it or not. Therefore it is better to let nature take it course, then use allavailable means of assistance to built a better tomorrow.

Ⅶ．Annexures
Annexure I : Proportion of Number of Affected Families by disaster- 1995
Total number of Families 91,386

Annexure II: OCCURRANCE OF NATURAL DISASTER AND ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR RELIEF
AND REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES FOR 1981 - 1997

Year

Type of DisasterNo. of Death

No. of Affected
Families
15,318204,21126
3,514
223,069

Expenditure forRelief(Rs.)
2,291,930
42,654,647
3,065
570,193
45,519,835

1981

Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Casual Relief
Total

2

Flood & Landslides
Drought
Casual Relief
Total

42

129,513372,436
4,229
506,178

14,621,023
118,920,957
787,828
134,329,808

204
435,926
175
4,967
441,272

58,07787,929,636
35,821
877,946
88,901,480

248,356
3,008
429
8,783
260,576

4,658,558
209,842
84,135
1,296,527
6,249,062

40

18,86920,4886,317
45,674
118,494
5,303
91
3,969
127,857

2,780,699
4,889,513
1,226,640
8,896,852
13,676,252
2,400
27,000780,080
14,485,732

68
68

5,053
484,925
140
4,617
2,035
496,770

568,820
72,969,136
89,950585,500
4,200,000
78,413,406

26,373652,3633,683
682,4192,867,089
28,553,911
648,632
32,069,632

86,176
238,426
324,60249,077,863
24,335,145
73,413,008

157,427
203,794

38,694,275
6,721,942

2

1982

42

1983
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Casual Relief
Total
1984
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Casual Relief
Total

44

Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Total
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Casual Relief
Total

19

44

1985

1986

19
40

1987
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Elephant Damages
Casual Relief
Breach of Kantale Tank
Total
1988
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Casual Relief
Total

3

3

1989
Flood & Landslides
Drought
Total

325

Flood & Landslides
Drought

37

325

1990

Casual Relief
Total

37

361,221

Flood & Landslides
Drought
Casual Relief
Total
Flood & Landslides
Casual Relief
Total

34

55,491
203,79434
25

259,285
71,08025

71,080Flood
Landslides
Sea Erosion
CycloneDrought
Drinking Water
Elephant Damages
Total

6
29

210,874
870
160
450
16,383311,000
45,727,217

1991

1992

78,876,485
230,202,076
625,000
309,703,561
154,572,300
27,403,000
181,975,300

1993

1

36

420
22915730,001,904
4,419,500
497,000
700,000
7,633,200
475,000
3,005,000
46731604

1994
Flood
Landslides
Sea Erosion
CycloneDrought
Drinking Water
Elephant Damages
Total

10

353,409
284
384
456

18

35453337,401,904
628,520880,183
627,600
618,700
205,500
199,800
40562207

353,409
484
517
1,403
260
35607337,401,904
2,970,686
366,800
958,807481,300
42179497

8,238
75
8,360
199,535
22,8078423909912,224,897
52,40014,870,185
424,856,387
568,000
1,165,130453736999

29,948626
434,775

16,746,908
1,576,942
296,863,722
1,778,200
2,537,735

8

1995
Flood
Landslides
Sea Erosion
CycloneDrinking Water
Total
1996
Flood
Landslides
CycloneDrought
Drinking Water
Accidents/Bomb Blast
Total

3
10

84
97

1997
Flood
Landslides
Drought
Drinking Water
CycloneAccident
Sea Erosion
Total

4
15

Flood
Landslides
CycloneDrinking water
Accident
Sea Erosion
Casual Relief

2

5

31
188

Total

10

38,033

69
88

650
69
154
466222363,980320847552

1998

1999

3

34,74650
3,018

31,236,159
410,953
3,990,025
70,600,562
646,110340,000
428,080
411,365
108,063,254

FloodLandslides
CycloneDrought
Drinking Water
Sea Erosion
Casual Relief
Elephant Damages
Total

6
3

94,352
404
168

2

303
49

11

95,27643,862,752
3,405
551,130
100,981,957
1,000,000
254,000
370,550
47,655,122
194,678,916

Annexure III: FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF SRI LANKA (DURING THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON RAINS)

Annexure IV: FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF SRI LANKA (DURING THE NORTHEAST MONSOON RAINS)

Annexure V : MAJOR FLOODS IN COLOMBO
MAJOR FLOODS IN COLOMBO
YEAR

WATER LEVEL IN FEET

1837

13.50

1872

11.9

1891

9.80

1904

990

1906

10.80

1913

11.00

MONTH

DEFINITION OF FLOODSMINOR FLOOD >2 FT
MAJOR FLOOD > 7 FTDANGEROUS FLOOD >9 FT

-

1922
1925

12.60
11.50

JULY

1928

9.08

MAY

1930

10.91

OCTOBER

1933

9.95

MAY

1936

9.43

MAY

1937

10.33

MAY

1939

9.35

MAY

1940

11.00

MAY

1942

8.17

JULY

1943

6.58

MAY

1944

6.00

MAY

1947

12.85

AUGUST

1947

6.00

OCTOBER

1952

8.25

MAY

1952

6.00

OCTOBER

1955

8.00

OCTOBER

1957

6.25

DECEMBER

1963

6.42

OCTOBER

1966

8.67

SEPTEMBER

1966

9.00

OCTOBER

1967

9.17

OCTOBER

1971

7.33

SEPTEMBER

1975

6.58

MAY

1989

9.20

JUNE

Annexure VI
Annexure VII: EROSION TRENDS IN THE SELECTED REACHES OF THE COAST LINE OF SRILANKA.

Location / Reach

Length of Reach(km)

Erosion Rate(m/m/yr.)% Reach Subject
to erosion

Maha Oya to Lansigama
Wellarnankara to Maha Oya
Maha Oya to Poratota

7.0
4.8
3.2

3.5 - 4.5
3.0
3.0

80
80
80

2

Colombo northUsewetekeiyawa to Palliyawatte
Palliyawatte to Crow Island
Crow Island to Muttuwal F / H

11.5
6.5
2.0
3.0

1.0 - 2.5
2.5
1.1
0.5

70
75
70
20

3

Kalutara
Kalutara North to Kalu R / I

11.0
6.0

0.5 - 2.0
1.5

60
40

1

KaIu Ganga to Maggona

5.0

2.0

70

4

Beruwala / Bentota
Beruwala to Bentota R
Bentota R to Robolgoda

11.0
8.0
3.2

1.5 - 2.0
1.5
1.0

42
60
75

5

Hikkaduwa
Seenigama to Coral Garden
Coral Garden H / I Dodandu

10.0
6.0
4.0

1.0 - 2.0
1.0
1.0

60
45
60

The picture here is omitted

Annexure VIII : MASTER PLAN FOR COAST EROSION MANAGEMENT

Annexure IX: NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTER MISSION STATEMENTNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTERMISSION STATEMENTOUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT HUMAN
LIFE, PROPERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENTFROM NATURAL DISASTER THROUGH
AWARENESS, PREVENTION,
PREPAREDNESS, MITIGATION AND
COORDINATION.

NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTERFUNCTIONS(A)PREPARATION OF A NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN

(B)

MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLANS PREPARED BYMINISTRIES, DEPARTMENTS, CORPORATIONS AND ORGANISATIONS(C)PREPARATION OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN(D)ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABANK AND A DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AT
NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL, DISTRICT, DIVISIONAL AND GRAMA NILADHARI LEVEL.

(E)PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO AND FUNCTION AS THE SECRETRIAT TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR
DISASTER MANAGEMENT ON MATTERS RELATED TO NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. SECRETARIAT ROLE
To provide secretariat support and assistance to the council in achieving National leadership on all relevant mattersfor the implementation of legislation, policies and programmes developed and authorized by the National Council for
Disaster Management.
To provide assistance to the National Council for Disaster Management regarding the enforcement of the existing
Disaster Management Acts and regulations.

2. INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
To establish a system for identifying International Humanitarian Assistance, specific National project needs anddirect liaison with Donor Agencies.
3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ANT) COORDINATION
To manage, coordinate and monitor where appropriate Disaster Management projects operating in Sri Lanka andensure effective input from external agencies such as ADPC,UNDP etc.
4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESPONSE AND SUPPORT AGENCIES
To maintain constant positive communications and information exchange with all response agencies and support
agencies and local government in relation to their preparedness for Disaster response.
5. RELATIONSHIPS WITH RELEVANT COMMITEESTo leadership and assistance for committees that relate to Disaster prevention, preparedness, coordination andrecovery.
6. FACILITATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALN DEVELOPMENT
To initiate and facilitate Disaster Management professional development to ensure an understanding of Disaster
Management principles, roles and responsibilities and preparedness planning for Government and Non Government
Organizations.
7. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS
To assist the Council in promoting public awareness in the areas of Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation and Risk
Reduction related to Disaster Management leading to enhanced community self-reliance.
To assist the Council in ensuring that adequate publicity is given to the policies and programmes formulated relating
to Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation and Risk Reduction through a variety of sources including themedia.

8. POLICY, PLANNING AND COORDINATION
To prepare, coordinate and update a National Disaster Management Plan based on the policies and programmes
issued by the National Council for Disaster Management.

To provide advice and monitor the relevance and appropriateness of the various Disaster Management Plans preparedby respective Ministries, Departments, Corporations and organizations to enhance a speedy implementation where
necessary.
To prepare, coordinate and update a National Emergency Operation Plan based on the policies and programmes issued
by the National Council for Disaster Management To assist the Natal Council for Disaster Management in thedetermination and allocation of Disaster Management funding.
To provide assistance to the Council in monitoring the effective and efficient use of resources available for Disaster
Management by all responsible agencies.
To assist the Council in initiating programmes related to prevention and mitigation of disaster and provision of relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction.
9. INFORMATION AND RESEARCH.
To establish a National Data Bank of expertise, contacts, information andat national, provincial, district, divisional and grama niladhari levels.

resources related to Disaster Management

To promote, facilitate and coordinate research and development opportunities in the areas of hazards, vulnerability,
social impacts and risk reduction by various means such as staffing attachments, utilization of tertiary institutions
or utilization of International Funding.
To establish an agreed and coordinated Disaster Management Information System and Process for receiving anddistributing timely and accurate information regarding impending disasters that would impact on the community of
Sri Lanka at national, provincial, district, divisional and grama niladhari level.
To assist the Council in reviewing all Post Disaster reports and submit recommendation for enhancement as
appropriate.

Annexure X: Proposed Institutional Framework for National Disaster Management

Proposed Institutional Framework for
National Disaster Management

Annexure XI: NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE ORGANIZATIONALSTRUCTURE

NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
COUNCILCHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT

SECRETARYTECHNICALADVISORYGROUP

ADDITIONAL
SECRETARY

DIRECTOR
NDMC

DEPUTY DIRECTORCOMMUNITY
AWARENESS &PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

D/DIRECTOR POLICY
PLANNING&
COORDINA
TION

Annexure XII:
Projects

Sri Lanka: Disaster Reduction and Management Programmes and(Some examples of national, sub national, Local/Community Level
Programmes/Projects)
Title of
Programme/
Project

Brief
Description

Target Beneficiary
Type

Number

Prog/Proj
Area
Coverage

Implementing
Agencies

Prog/Proj
Duration

Funding
SourceProg/Proj
Costa) Urban
Development
Sector Project

Acceleratesocial-economics
development &environment
improvement of
17
towns.

Urban

2,000,000

45,000sq.Km

Urban
development
Authority of
Sri-Lanka

5 Years

ADB

US$36Mb) Developmentof
National
DisasterManagement
CentreStrengthen
disastermanagement
frame
work of SriLanka

Urban
Rural

Total
Population

All Island

Ministry ofSocialServices

2 Years

UNDP

US$2.5M

C) Landslide
HazardMapping

Pay the way forLandslidehazardreduction

Seven
Administrative
districts

Cover area
20% of theislandNational
Building
Research
Organization

5 Years

UNDP
UNCHS

d) Land use
policyplanning

To prepare
national Landuse policy

Total
Population

All island

Ministry ofAgriculture &Land

10 Years

Sri Lanka
GovernMent

Urban
Rural

Annexuere XIII: Sri Lanka – Status of disaster Preparedness

Type of
Disaster/Occurring

Existenceof disaster
Preparedness

Yes

No

Preparednesslevel

National

Regional

Local

Availability
Monitoring
andData
Collection
Mechanism
Yes
No

Degree of constraints in Mitigation Efforts

Flood

B

B

B

D

A

Lack of
Qualified Man
Power
M
S
MS
X

Landslide

B

B

C

D

A

X

Drought

B

B

C

B

B

-

Cyclone

C

A

C

D

A

Sea Erosion

C

B

D

D

A

Others

-

-

-

-

A

Disasters(Man-made)Legend: A-Very good
B-GoodC-Satisfactory
C-Poor

M-Moderate
S-Severe
VS-Very severe

Shortage ofFinancial
Resources
M
S
VS
X

Institutional
Deficiencies
M
X

S
X

-

X

X

-

X

X

-

-

X

X

X

-

-

X

X

X

X

-

X

VS

Lack ofequipment
facilities
M
S
MS
X

-

X

X

X
X
X
X