Disaster Management Activities inSri Lanka

byMajor General Gamini Hettiarachchi (Retd)Director GeneralDisaster Management Centre

Post Tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction Measures

Legal and Institutional frameworks.

Road Map

Capacity building, Preparedness measures and reaction capacities.

Early Warning systems including forecasting, dissemination of warnings and Last Mile activities.

Legal and Institutional Frameworks

Provides for a Framework for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Sri LankaAddresses 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

FloodsDroughtsLandslidesIndustrial HazardsTsunami (Seismic Wave)EarthquakesAir HazardsFireEpidemicsExplosionsAir RaidsCivil or Internal StrifeChemical AccidentsRadiological EmergencyOil SpillsNuclear DisasterUrban and Forest FireCoastal ErosionTornadoes, Lightening Strikes and Severe Thunder StormsHazards that come under the purview of the DMC

National Council For Disaster ManagementDMC Social Services Home Affairs HealthDefence Power Coast Conservation HousingIrrigation Science & TechnologyRehabilitation & Reconstruction Police Land Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Education Highways Water SupplyUrban Development Foreign AffairsFinance Environment Ministers in charge ofNational Council for Disaster Management

Chair Person : H.E. PresidentVice Chairman: Hon. Prime Minister

Ministry of Disaster Management & Human Rights Ministers in charge of

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was established in August 2005 as the lead agency in disaster risk management in the country

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

Organizational Structure Disaster Management Centre

Disaster Management Centre(Director General)

National ConsultantsPersonnel & Administration BranchMedia UnitFinance Branch

24 x 7 National Emergency Operation Centre

Training, Education & Public AwarenessUnit

Preparedness PlanningUnit

Multi-Hazard Early warning & DisseminationUnit

District Emergency Operation Centres(DRM Coordinators)Disaster Management AssistantsIntermediate & Local LevelsNational LevelTech. Com. in each divisionDisaster Management Technology, Mitigation Unit

Risk Assessment, Data Collection, Research & Analysis Centre

DOMMulti-Hazards Warning Dissemination System24/7 Emergency Operation RoomsDistrict Disaster Management CommitteeDivisional Disaster Management CommitteeDissemination of WarningRegional & International OrganizationsMulti-Hazards Early Warning Dissemination Unit of the DMCGovernment Agencies, Critical Agencies & Stakeholders PoliceMedia & General PublicMilitaryUN System, INGOs, NGOsPWTSNBROAtomic Energy AuthorityNARADOIGSMBProvincial CouncilsDistrict SecretariatsDivisional SecretariatsLocal AuthoritiesPolice StationsHospitalsGovernment Dpt.NGOs, CBOsCCDVilla level DM CommitteesReceiving Early WarningsOut Puts

24 x 7 National Emergency Operations Centre

Relief and response work during recent flood & landslidedisasters in the country has been coordinated effectively

Disaster Management CentreDistrict SecretaryDistrict Disaster Management CommitteeProv. Level Disaster Management CommitteeDistrict Disaster Management CoordinatorsLocal Authority CommitteesEmergency Op. RoomsGovt. DepartmentsMilitary & PolicePrivate SectorNGOs/ Civil SocietiesDiv. Level CommitteesGN CommitteesVillage volunteer CommitteesEarly Warning, Medical / Health, Search & Rescue, Camp Management & Security CommitteesBusiness CommunitiesDisaster Risk Management Mechanism at Sub-national Level

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

National DRM Committees National advisory Committee

Emergency Response Committee

Disaster Victim Identification

Building Guideline Committee

Colombo Flood Committee

The Roadmap Towards a Safer Sri LankaThe Roadmap is a 10 year DRM framework to be addressed in a systematic manner with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. These priorities of actions are consistent with the Sri Lanka DM Act No. 13 of 2005 and also in line with the Hyogo Framework For Action 2005-2015.

Community Capacity Building, Preparedness Measures & Response Capacities

Risk Awareness &Knowledge Building

Awareness and Knowledge Creation among the Stakeholders

Training of Stakeholders

Knowledge and Awareness Building in Communities and Stakeholders for Risk Reduction

Community Awareness

Participatory Hazard Mapping to identify safe routes and safe areas

Participatory Hazard Mapping in Vulnerable Communities

Mock Drills to ensure response capacities Community Evacuation Plans

Evacuation Mock Drills

Community De-briefing

Lidar Survey of the coastal belt was carried out with Italian Government sponsorship.

Community Response Capacity

Community response capacity enhance through the training of village level volunteers for the following; First Aid Life Saving Swimming Boat handling Leadership (Outward Bound Training) Search & Rescue Camp Management

Preparedness & Response Plans National Level Plans Provincial Level Plans District Level Plans Divisional Level Plans Gramaniladhari Level Plans

Preparation of SOPsPreparation of SOPs at National, District, Divisional and Community Levels.

Disaster Management Plans

School Preparedness Plans.

Institutional Preparedness Plans

Hospital Preparedness Plans for mass casualty transfer.

DMC has established a Committee for Development of Guidelines for Construction in Disaster Prone Areas Hazard specific Building Codes for Landslides, Cyclone, Flood prone areas and for Seismic Activity has been finalized. The Department of National Housing has compiled Building Codes for Tsunami prone areas which are pending finalization.Building Codes

Early Warning Systems including Forecasting, Dissemination of Warnings and Last Mile Activities

Technical Agencies involved in issuing warningsMeteorological DepartmentNational Building Research OrganizationIrrigation DepartmentCoast Conservation DepartmentNational Aquatic Resources AgencyGeological Survey & Mines BureauHealth Department (Epidemiology Unit)

Multi-Hazard Early Warning System

Warning Given by Technical AgenciesDMC & Other Relevant AgenciesVulnerable Communities

Methods of DisseminationMass Media (TV/Radio/News papers)Police/Military CommunicationMulti Hazard Warning TowersDEWN DevicesHF/VHF CommunicationsTelephones/CDMA/GSMSatellite CommunicationInternetCell Broadcast/ SMS RANET

Seeking a Reliable Communication System for Last MileIn cooperation withCBDM

Last Mile Activity

Community level Messengers/Runners Motor cyclists/Cyclists /Three Wheelers Sirens/Bells Speaker systems in villages Telephone/Mobiles Police vehicles with speakers Hand held VHF set DEWN TV Telephones Mobile/SMS RADIO E-Communication RANET Warning Towers

Public Announcements through Radio, TV (Cyclones, Floods, Landslides)NBROTraditional communication systems in villagesPublic EvacuationNear Real Time Landslide Early Warning

DMCDistrictNBROPoliceDOIMediaIntra-gov. NetworkDOMCommunityInformation TransferInformation TransferData AnalysisWarningWarningEvacuationEarly Warning NetworkObservationObservationJICA Funded

End-to-End EW System in Pilot Project SatelliteTelephone LineAWSDOMDOIRainfall Gauge Waterlevel GaugeDMCDistrict DM CoordinatorGrant Aid ProjectPilot Project in Kelani River BasinDS OfficeLast Mile

Grant Aid : Meteorological Information Network38 Automatic Weather StationsSatelliteDOMReal Time Monitoring of Meteorological Data

50 x Tsunami Warning Towers in the coastal zones.

VHF / HF Radio Communication System to be established.

10 line call centre to be established.

Establishment of 10 EOCs at District levels.

Establish community based Fire fighting capacity.

Community based rainfall assessment for localized Early Warning capacity.

Last Mile Warning Dissemination to be strengthened .

Vertical Tsunami evacuation structure to be built at selected locations.

Land Use &Coastal Management Plans

A National Land Use Policy has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers recently.

The Coastal Zone Management Plan of 1997 formulated by the CCD defines policy for management of the coastal area.

Integration of land use and hazard zonation will provide a tool for planners to make appropriate decisions during development planning.

National Level ActivitiesNational DM plan to be approvedNational Policy to be approvedDesInventar to be consolidatedSLDRN to be consolidatedRisk Profile to be completedSMS & Cell broadcasting on goingSafety Day Celebration to be continued CBDRM ManualStreamlining gender to Disaster ManagementICS to be integrated Ranet to be consolidatedColombo Flood Mitigation Programme to be completedJICA Projects on goingUSTDA Projects (SIAC)DM Communication & Response Capacity Development Project - ICETStrengthening Local AuthoritiesUNESCAP Communication ProjectSchool Disaster Management Activity -UN OCHA fundedEnvironmental Project Funded by the Korean Government

Consolidation of DM Activities in Line with the HFA

*End-to-end early warning system is one of visible and useful output from JICA projects,During the project period through our pilot and CBDM activity, we try to foster effective and efficient early warning system from one end of observation to another end of evacuation in community. At the end of the project, end-to-end system will be functioned.Community people will be beneficiary of EW system and DMC will be a key actor of the DM activityTherefore, community and DMC will be centered for consideration of this end-to-end early warning system.*As mentioned, two JICA projects has different role.In the preparation of end-to-end EW system, weather observation equipment and communication network will be provided by the grant aid and determination of early warning criteria and community based activities will be carried out in the technical assistance.