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Disaster Management Centre

(DMC).

The DMC was established under the

National Council for Disaster

Management (NCDM) in accordance

with the Disaster Management act No

13 of 2005, passed in the Parliam ent o f

the Democratic Socialist Republic o f

Sri Lanka, and certi fi ed on 13th May

2005.

Vision

Safer communities and sustainable

development in Sri Lanka

Mission

To create a culture o f safety among

communities and the nation at large

through systematic managem ent o f

natural, technological and m an-made

disaster risks

Objectives

� Hazard Mapping and Risk

Assessment.

� In formation Management

� Long-term disaster mitigation.

� Forecasting, early warning and

inform ation dissemination

� Preparedness to respond to

disasters when they occur.

� Emergency Operations

Management

� Management o f the post-disaster

activities aft er a disaster.

NDMCC Build s Partnerships

The National Disaster Management Coordination Committee

(NDMCC) provides and creates space to address disaster management

related issues from macro perspective. It would also ensure coordination

of NGOs, INGOs as well as government bodies and avoid overlapping

and duplication of activities. This national platform, a multi-stakeholder

national coordination body has been set up to deal with major

catastrophic events such as the tsunami of December 2004.

The NDMCC has two core groups namely “ Disaster Risk Reduction”

and “Training & Education”. These two categories were created to

implement result oriented programmes with the commitment of relevant

stakeholders. The focus and the activities o f the core groups are; focus

on the Disaster Risk Reduction, GN level hazard mapping, vulnerability

mapping and development o f risk pro fil es for a better preparedness

planning. Finalization of District & Divisional level disaster

management plans for p rinting and distribution. Provide guidelines and

mobilize the District Disaster Management Coordination Committees to

save life and properties in the respective geographical locations.

.

NEWSLETTER

Working together for Disaster Risk Reduction

First Quarter 2009

10th NDMCC Meeting

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Inaugural Newsletter –

With the overall objective o f providing

inform ation on disaster risk reduction

activities in Sri Lanka to keep stakeholders

and wider community alert and updated,

this newsletter is produced by NDMCC

with plans to issue a quarterly. News items

and articles o f activities of partner

organizations with educational and news

value will be included with a view o f

creating a safer community. Through

inform ed and empowered communities,

working together with partners in disaster

risk reduction, this newsletter is intended

as a supplement in achieving the National

goals and objectives in creating a safer Sri

Lanka for all.

Disaster Management Center

BMICH

Bawdhaloka Mawatha

Colombo 7

Tel: 011-2670051/0112670071

Hot line: 011- 2670002, Fax: 011-2670079

Weather Advisory

Department of Meteorology says that, the

Southwest monsoon the longest weather

season in Sri Lanka normally sets on after

3rd week o f May and prevails until the end

of September. During the establishing

period or the setting on period, various

types of atmospheric changes take place.

Continued in page: 07

Focus of Training & Education core groups is; Capacity building of

non structural measures fo r disaster risk reduction (Coordination,

resource sharing, empowerment, etc) and improving curriculum &

syllabuses in the sphere o f disaster m anagem ent and strengthening

child lead disaster risk reduction.

During workshop recently held on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk

Reduction, recommended to have a representation from DMC at

“Scoping Committee” of Central Environment Authority in order to

mainstream DRR into development process. This was possible as a

result of initiatives taken by Disaster Risk Reduction Core group of

NDMCC. This Committee is responsible for preparing Terms of

References for di fferent projects to conduct Environmental Impact

Assessments. Studying Strategic Environmental Assessment process to

identify possible opportunities incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction

component into the Development Process, will be an added task in the

long run.

In the meantime DRR core group organi zed a National level

workshop to develop a Risk Profile & Vulnerability Atlas for Sri Lanka

on 26th February at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo 07. As a

result, the following authorities were entrusted with the responsibility

of developing the hazard & vulnerability maps for each sector;

National Building Research Organization (Landslide maps) , Dept .of

Irrigation (Flood ), Coast Conservation Department (Coastal hazards ),

Dept. of Meteorology (Cyclone). Particulars such as scale,

standardization of parameters/indicators, data sharing and finalization of

an approach fo r coordination are to be further discussed.

A regional workshop was also conducted during March - April 2009 to

familiarize with approaches & systems available in the region to

develop hazard maps, vulnerability atlas and risk profiles.

The Training & Education core group of the NDMCC conducted

several discussions on collecting materials on Disaster Management

Training & Education programmes. Based on these discussions a

document has been prepared indicating who has done what training on

this particular fi eld. Finally, having obtained the consent of NDMCC

stakeholders, the Core Group intends to conduct a Training o f Trainers

(ToT) programme with the objective of standardizing available

materials.

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Landslide Mitigation for High Risk

Areas

Landslides pose a m ajor threat to li fe and property of

people living in hill slopes. The National Building

Research Organization (NBRO) has identi fied and

demarcated most o f the areas prone to landslides.

Kumbalgamuwa in Walapane Divisional Secretary

Division in Nuwara-Eliya district is such high risk site

identified by NBRO. Initiatives were taken by the

NBRO and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC)

with UNDP’s assistance to reduce the landslide risk in

the area mainly through non-structural measures.

Demarcation o f the landslide high risk zone,

installation of a rain gauge in the community and train

people how to measure rain fall and evacuate when it

exceeds a particular limit, establishment of warning

sign boards along the road, awareness creation and

evacuation mock drills are the main activities

undertaken..

Rain gauge and the Land Slide Warning Boards

IOM in Emergency Transport

International Organization for Migrants (IOM) had

been supporting DMC during disaster situations by

providing vehicles to transport relief items to the

affected. IOM has been facilitating the voluntary

transportation of families who were victims of the

landslides last year to new relocations. In response

to a request made by the NDMCC, IOM has

assisted communities o f Kegalle district who were

affected by the recent drought by dispatching

water bowsers.

Drinking Water in Disaster

Situation

Water Missions International, a member o f the

NDMCC has been working in close collaboration

with DMC in providing drinking water to

communities affected by disasters. Water

Treatment Systems donated and installed by Water

Missions International can provide 25,000 liters

(daily average) o f safe treated drinking and cooking

water to the affected people.

Relief distributio n

Flood affected people of Kiriella receiving safe drinking water from the Water Treatment System.

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Looking into CKD

Chronic Renal Failure/Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has

become a serious problem in the North central Province,

seriously impacting the quality o f life, longevity and

productivity of the affected population. At present a

number o f agencies are trying to find a solution to this

epidemic as its aetiology is unknown. Experts believe that

the disease has a relationship with drinking water. DMC

facilitated a workshop with the participation o f all relevant

stakeholders including pro fessionals and academics in the

fi elds o f agriculture, water supply, health, social science

and statistics .

The key recommendations o f the workshop were to

undertake a water quality assessment and a study on the

behavioral patterns o f people in selected GN divisions

where the prevalence o f the disease is highest, allocate

funding to screen test the communities in Padaviya MOH

area and prepare a database o f patients. UNDP Disaster

Risk Management Programme allocated funds to

implement these recommendations. Screen testing o f

40,000 people in Padaviya and preparation of a database

of CKD patients in Anuradhapura district have been

completed in collaboration with Ministry of Health Care &

Nutrition.

First Aid Training for Three Wheelers

Provision of appropriate training to first responders is

expected to remarkably reduce the impact o f disasters.

In most of the disaster situations and during road traffic

accidents, three wheeler drivers assistance in rescue and

transport of the victims has been signi ficant. Proper

handling of the injured m ay ensure quick recovery of

patients and can save lives. DMC in collaboration with

the Community Police Unit of the National Civil

Defense Coordination Unit took initiatives to train three

wheeler drivers in the Colombo city area on basic first

aid with special emphasis to casualty handling. More

than1200 three wheeler drivers and over 200 police

offi cers attached to the community police unit were

trained under the programme. National Trauma

Secretariat, St. John’s Ambulance Brigade provided

technical guidance fo r the programme. Three Wheeler

Drivers’ Associations and Lakbima News Paper were

the other main partners and the Disaster Risk

Management Programme of UNDP provided the

financial assistance.

Stakeholders discourse a collaborative approach to control CKD

Disaster Management Act being amended

Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No. 13 was enacted

in May 2005 to provide the legal provisions for

instituting a Disaster Risk Management system in Sri

Lanka. The Ministry of Disaster Managem ent and Human

Rights recommended amendments to the Act, to address

the gaps and implementation di fficulties observed. At

present, two national consultants are working in

introducing the necessary amendments in consultation

with various stakeholders. All parties who are interested

in building a safer Sri Lanka are requested to submit their

proposals/comments/views to improve the Disaster

Management Act, as early as possible to reach the offi ce

of the Secretary, Ministry of Disaster M anagement and

Human Rights, No. 2, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7 or

email lalch@hotmail.com

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Students d uring the Fi rst Aid Tra ining Programme

National Guideline for School Safety

The “ Guidelines for School Disaster Safety” has been

developed to strengthen disaster preparedness in

schools. This guideline is a result of the collaboration

among the National Institute o f Education o f the

Ministry of Education, Disaster Managem ent Centre,

German Techni cal Cooperation (GTZ) and UNDP Sri

Lanka.

Evacuation Drill for School Children Evacuation drills were organi zed in 16 schools in

Matara, Hambabtota, Kurunagala, Batticaloa, Clombo,

Trincomalee and Galle districts with the participation of

7,344 school children and members of staff.

Sudden onset of disasters including fires, Bomb blasts

as well as tsunamis was considered as typical

emergency situations for evacuation for the drill. In

addition, laboratory safety procedures were also

introduced to minimize accidents in school.

.School Children in Mitigation

Activity

Structural mitigation activities were undertaken in 09

disaster vulnerable schools under the school disaster

risk management programme implemented by DMC

under UNDP and UNOCHA funding. All the mitigation

activities were implemented in collaboration with

School Development Societies with Children’s

participation.

These activities enabled groups of children to learn

about possible disasters that could affect their schools

as well as how to prepare fo r them. This also helped

children to investigate and generate knowledge about

local disaster risks and some students groups were able

to complete thei r Advance Level group assignments

based on the activities of these projects.

.

First Aid Training for School

Children

The importance o f establishing and strengthening

School Disaster M anagement Circl es (SDMCs) has

been highlighted in the School Disaster Safety

Guidelines. In this context, Disaster Management

Circles were established in 21 schools from

Kurunegala, Jaffna, Badulla, Matara, Matale, Batticaloa

and Trincomalee districts and the members were trained

in basic first aid . Two hundred and ten students and

fo rty two teachers from 21 SDMCs were trained during

the programme. Technical Support for the programme

was obtained from St. John Ambulance and Brigade o f

Sri Lanka.

School Disaster Management Circle in Weeragoda Ampara

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Eco-friendly Approach to M inimize HEC

Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) is a dram atic issue in Sri Lanka fo r which permanent solutions need to be

identified. According to the Department o f Wild Life Conservation (DWLC) the annual loss of human and

elephant lives due to HEC are on average 60 and 150 respectively. In addition the wild elephant problem has a

serious impact on the rural livelihoods. DMC and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources

collaborated for t esting out a sustainable solution by establishing a bio-fence. This was established covering 03

Grama Niladari divisions; Kuraketiyawa, Meddawa and Moragahawewa in Nawagattegama in Puttlam district.

The initiative attracted very high community participation and a 15km long bio-fence was established with Jute,

Bougainvillea and citrus/ lime plants.

Nurseries ready for planting Community participation in bio fencing

3Ws for DRR

3W database provides in formation on which organization (WHO) is carrying out which activities (WHAT) in

which locations (WHERE). This is essential i f those organi zations & activities are to be coordinated in a way

that ensures humanitarian & development needs are met while transparency is ensured and also to avoid

duplicating of efforts by different organi zations. This database has been developed as a joint effort o f Disaster

Management Center (DMC), United Nations Office for the Coordination o f Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)

and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This database can be accessed online through

http://3w.unocha.org. The map of Sri Lanka which indicates the spatial distribution of organizations is available

in at http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka%5Fhpsl/. Both the map and the database will be updated with

the information provide by the NDMCC stakeholders & formats to provide information are available in Sinhala,

Tamil & English medium. The data base, maps & formats are also accessible through www.dmc.gov.lk.

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Conservation of Traditional Seeds and Agricultural Resources (NFCTSAR - a local NGO). Selection of best

traditional and improved rice vari eties for this soil, train farmers on best cultural practices to minimize the impact

of salinity were the main involvements. This pilot project generated success ful results and the RRDI is in the

process o f producing m aterials for disseminating knowledge to farmers on the best p ractices o f paddy cultivation

in salty soils.

Adapting to Impacts of Climatic

Change

Productivity of most o f the paddy growing lands

declines every year due to increased soil salinity. The

soil salinity of the paddy lands in coastal districts has

increased due to salt accumulation through tidal waves

and sea water intrusion will continue to increase with

the sea level rise expected due to climate change.

Increase in the soil salinity has been observed in the

inland districts too, mainly due to extensive evaporation

during drought and insufficient drainage to wash out the

salts brought in with irrigation water.

Farmer Families in Nelumwewa (m eaning Lotus Lake)

and Kattakaduwa in the Puttalam District faced utmost

difficulties due to soil salinity. DMC and UNDP

identified this as a model site to demonstrate the climate

change adaptation options and launched a programme

in collaboration with the Rice Research & Development

Institute (RRDI) and the National Federation for

Weather Advisory Cont….

Near the surface, low pressure areas, depressions

and even stronger systems such as tropic al

cyclones develop over our region, Bay of Bengal

and Arabian Sea. In addition, weather conditions

such as strong winds and heavy rain are frequent in

Galle, Matara, Colombo, Kaluthara, Gampaha,

Ratnapura and Kegalle districts, western parts of

Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, and disaster

managers should bear the fact that it is one of the

critical period to be vigilant about the weather

(strong winds and heavy rain). Therefore the public

and respective authorities in those areas should

have better awareness about weather conditions

fo recasted. The department o f meteorology

constantly observes the latest weather and the early

warning centre in the Head Offi ce, Colombo

monitors the changes to update the weather forecast

and to issue warning to the public and respective

organizations i f a th reat is anticipated. For more

details – www.meteo.gov.lk

Traditional methods for farming practices Mr. Siriwardha na with tradi tional varieties

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NBRO in Landslide Early Warning

The research conducted by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) under the Ministry of Disaster

Management and Human Rights has identified 10 landslide prone districts; Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla,

Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Landslides also have been recorded in other districts

also due to inappropriate practices of l and use. Research proves that the landslides in the island have been caused by

natural as well as man made activities. Records indicate an increase in the landslides due to man made causes and, as

a result, landslides are spreading into the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kurunegala as well.

In addition, NBRO is working together with the Department o f M eteorology and the Disaster Management Centre in

issuing landslide early warning to the people living in landslide prone areas. With the assistance o f UNDP, JICA,

automated rain gauges were installed for the real time rainfall measurements and the intra governmental network have

been established connecting all stakeholders to facilitate the early warning process.

� M inistry of Disaster M anagement & Human Rights � Disaster M anagement Center � United Nations Development Programme � United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction � Sri Lanka Red Cross Society

“Let’s work together, towards a safer Sri Lanka”

A landslide occurred due to man made reasons

(Beruwala – Kalutara District)

A landslide occurred due to natural reasons

(Beragala - Badulla District)