By Newswire Editorial
The Government of Sri Lanka, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced a new disaster preparedness initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s disaster risk management systems, with pilot projects to be implemented in the Badulla and Matara districts.
According to a UNDP statement, the 24-month project, titled Strengthening Sri Lanka’s Disaster Risk Management Framework, is funded by the European Union through its Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).
The initiative will be implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Defence, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and Save the Children International.
The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 3,260 community members in Badulla and Matara, while engaging around 3,200 government officials and technical personnel nationwide.
Under the initiative, disaster preparedness measures will be strengthened at the local level through improved early-warning systems, emergency preparedness planning, coordination mechanisms and simulation exercises.
Save the Children International will lead the implementation of the district-level component, working with local authorities, schools and communities to develop and test a disaster management model that could later be expanded across the country.
At the national level, the project will focus on reviewing existing disaster management laws and institutional arrangements, strengthening coordination among government agencies and improving procedures to ensure early warnings lead to timely action.
The initiative also aims to improve disaster preparedness for vulnerable communities, with particular attention to women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Marina Ten said recovery from Cyclone Ditwah provides an opportunity to strengthen systems that protect communities from future disasters.
She said the initiative would focus on improving institutional coordination, local preparedness and early-warning systems while developing sustainable solutions that benefit vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, the EU’s Programme Manager for Cooperation in Sri Lanka, Seuwandi Yapa, said investing in disaster preparedness is essential to protecting lives, livelihoods and development gains.
The project was announced at a recent inception workshop attended by representatives of government institutions, the EU, UNDP and other development partners.
The initiative comes as Sri Lanka continues to face recurring climate-related disasters, including floods, landslides, cyclones, extreme rainfall and droughts. (Newswire)