Barriers and enablers of coastal disaster resilience – lessons learned from tsunami in Sri Lanka
International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment
ISSN: 1759-5908
Article publication date: 21 January 2020
Issue publication date: 13 March 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the coastal disaster resilience and the disaster management framework of Sri Lanka, by conducting a case study in a few coastal areas in the district of Matara which were majorly affected in 2004 by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Although it has been 15 years since the disaster struck the country, Sri Lanka is still struggling in building back better. This reveals the need to strengthen the action plan toward coastal disaster management by identifying the barriers and challenges that still exist in policies and frameworks, the use of technology in evacuation planning, implementation of evacuation plans and capacity building of the community.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted through structured and in-depth interviews among the general public and government officials targeting the eventual outcome as to ascertain barriers incorporated with the disaster management framework and then possible improvements to the framework were identified and suggested.
Findings
The findings showed that the practice of an administrative-oriented disaster management framework was a key element in creating a welfare-oriented community that is still building back better in Matara, which was one of the worst affected cities in the country during the 2004 Tsunami.
Originality/value
This paper facilitates resilience development by identifying the overall development of the system after 2004. The required modifications needed to strengthen the system have thereby been identified through the developed output which was produced by analyzing the barriers and challenges.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was conducted with the financial aid from CABARET (Capacity Building in Asia for Resilience Education), a project of the European Union’s Erasmus + Programme - Key Action 2 - Capacity Building in the field of higher education.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein.
Citation
Rathnayake, D.K., Kularatne, D., Abeysinghe, S., Shehara, I., Fonseka, T., Edirisinghe Mudiyanselage, S.D.J., Kamalrathne, W.G.C.T., Siriwardana, C., Alagiyawanna Mohotti Appuhamilage, C.S.B. and Dissanayake, R. (2019), "Barriers and enablers of coastal disaster resilience – lessons learned from tsunami in Sri Lanka", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 275-288. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-07-2019-0050
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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