Disaster management

1. Disaster Management
Framework of Sri Lanka
Session 03
By: Dr. Kalpana Ambepitiya

2. Legal and Institutional
Frameworks

3. üProvides for a Framework for Disaster Risk
Management (DRM) in Sri Lanka
üAddresses Disaster Management (DM)
holistically, leading to a policy shift from
response based mechanisms to a proactive
approach
Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act;
No.13 of 2005

4. ü Floods
ü Droughts
ü Landslides
ü Industrial Hazards
ü Tsunami (Seismic Wave)
ü Earthquakes
ü Air Hazards
ü Fire
ü Epidemics
ü Explosions
ü Air Raids
ü Civil or Internal Strife
ü Chemical Accidents
ü Radiological Emergency
ü Oil Spills
ü Nuclear Disaster
ü Urban and Forest Fire
ü Coastal Erosion
ü Tornadoes, Lightening Strikes
and Severe Thunder Storms
Hazards that come under the purview
of the DMC

5. National Policy on Disaster
Management
• National Council for Disaster Management, approved
the Policy on 28.12.2010.
• The Policy is intended to complement the core
elements. These include: the Act, the National Disaster
Management Plan (NDMP); National Emergency
Operations Plan; Disaster Management Plans for every
Ministry, Government Department and public
corporation; and other plans, programs and guidelines.
Laws, policies and undertakings on other topics, such
as land use planning and local government, also
contribute directly and indirectly to disaster
management outcomes in Sri Lanka.

6. Legal Basis
• Under the Act, the national policy and program
on disaster management shall provide for:
– The protection of life of the community, property and
environment from disasters and development and
maintenance of disaster resilient infrastructure and
economic development activities in disaster prone
areas;
– The effective use of resources for preparedness,
prevention, response, relief, reconstruction and
rehabilitation;

7. – The enhancement of public awareness and
training to help people to protect themselves from
disasters;
– Capacity building, among persons living in areas
vulnerable to disaster, in relation to risk
management and the application of disaster
management and mitigation practices; and
– Pre-disaster planning, preparedness and
mitigation while sustaining and further improving
post disaster relief, recovery and rehabilitation
capabilities.

8. Multi-dimensional
• Disaster management should take into
account several, intersecting dimensions,
which include:
– Multi-hazards
– Multi-phases
– Multi-sectors
– Multi-stakeholders
– Multi-locality
– Multi-temporal

9. National Council For Disaster
Management
DMC
Social Services
Home Affairs
Health
Defence
Power
Coast Conservation
Housing
Irrigation
Science &
Technology
Rehabilitation &
Reconstruction
Police
Land
Fisheries & Aquatic
Resources
Education
Highways
Water Supply
Urban
Development
Foreign Affairs
Finance
Environment
Ministers in charge of
National Council for Disaster
Management
Chair Person : H.E. President
Vice Chairman: Hon. Prime Minister
Ministers in charge of

10. ü The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was
established in August 2005 as the lead agency in
disaster risk management in the country
ü In December 2005, the Ministry for Disaster
Management was established. On January 2006,
above Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of
Disaster Management & Human Rights with
human right portfolio being added to the Ministry

11. Organizational Structure
Disaster Management Centre
Disaster Management Centre
(Director General)
National
Consultants
Personnel &
Administration Branch Media Unit
Finance Branch
24 x 7
National
Emergency
Operation
Centre
Training,
Education &
Public
Awareness
Unit
Preparedness
Planning
Unit
Multi-Hazard
Early warning &
Dissemination
Unit
District Emergency Operation Centres
(DRM Coordinators)
Disaster Management Assistants
Intermediate &
Local Levels
National
Level
Tech. Com. in
each division
Disaster
Management
Technology,
Mitigation
Unit
Risk
Assessment,
Data
Collection,
Research &
Analysis
Centre

12. 24 x 7 National Emergency Operations Centre

13. Relief and response work during recent flood & landslide
disasters in the country has been coordinated effectively

14. Disaster
Management
Centre
District Secretary
District Disaster
Management Committee
Prov. Level Disaster
Management
Committee
District Disaster
Management
Coordinators
Local Authority
Committees
Emergency Op. Rooms
Govt. Departments
Military & Police
Private Sector
NGOs/ Civil
Societies
Div. Level Committees
GN Committees
Village
volunteer
Committees
Early Warning, Medical / Health, Search & Rescue, Camp
Management & Security Committees
Business
Communities
Disaster Risk Management Mechanism at
Sub-national Level

15. Devolved Disaster Management Framework
ü National Disaster Management Coordinating Committee
ü Provincial / District Disaster Management Committees
ü Divisional Disaster Management Committees
ü Community Disaster Management Committee
ü Sub Committees
ü Early Warning,
ü Medical / Health
ü Search & Rescue
ü Camp Management
ü Village Security

16. National DRM Committees
ü National advisory Committee
ü Emergency Response Committee
ü Disaster Victim Identification
ü Building Guideline Committee
ü Colombo Flood Committee

17. Acknowledgement
Extracted from a Presentation of the Director
General of Disaster Management Centre of
Sri Lanka.
- Disaster Management Activities of Sri Lanka -

18. Group discussion
• Sri Lanka is identified as a prone country to
Cyclones. However the country is positioned as
developing and many development projects are
going on like, Port City, Uma Oya , kandy-
Colombo express road(about to start), and some
power plants etc. And we have projects in
operation such as Mahaweli.
• You are representing the youth and general public
of the country. Give your suggestion to minimise
the impact of Cyclones on these projects.