Seminar on “Disaster Recovery for Risk Reduction and Development”

The Chamber of Construciton Industry Sri Lanka in collaboration with the University of Salford will host a seminar on Disaster Recovery for Risk Reduction and Development on Wednesday November 19, 2008 at Hotel Galadari, Colombo.

School of the Built Environment of the University of Salford has established a research centre for capacity building for disaster preparedness and reconstruction.

The increase in the frequency of disasters and the associated damages they have caused in Sri Lanka is part of a worldwide trend, which results from growing vulnerability and changing developmental and climatic patterns.

This trend makes it all the more necessary for Sri Lanka to break the cycle of destruction and reconstruction, and address the root causes of vulnerability, rather than merely treating its symptoms when disasters happen.

A closer analysis of what transforms a natural or human-induced event into a social and economic disaster reveals that the fundamental problems of development that Sri Lanka faces are the very same problems that contribute to its vulnerability to the catastrophic effects of natural hazards, such as landslides and tsunamis, and human induced hazards such as conflict.

A proactive stance to reduce the toll of disasters in Sri Lanka requires a more comprehensive approach that encompasses both pre-disaster risk reduction and post-disaster recovery. This seminar will examine how we can increase the resilience of communities by developing the capacity to learn from past disasters and enable better future protection through risk reduction measures, and effective sustainable reconstruction following a disaster.

The keynote address will be delivered by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

Some of the issues that will be addressed during the seminar include :

* Disaster management lifecycle including risk reduction and development through sustainable reconstruction; * Knowledge development including education, training, research and information; * Risk awareness and assessment including hazard analysis and vulnerability/capacity analysis; * Public commitment and institutional frameworks, including organisational, policy, legislation and community action; * Application of measures including land-use and urban planning, protection of critical facilities, etc.; * Early warning systems including forecasting, dissemination of warnings, preparedness measures and reaction capacities.

Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga and Dr. Richard Haigh from the University of Salford, Eng. Conred de Tissera, UN-HABITAT Programme Manager for Sri Lanka, Prof. Samantha Hettiarachchi from the University of Moratuwa, Ms. Lalani Imbulana, Director National Disaster Management Centre, and Scientist Kumari Weerasinghe of the National Building Research Organization are expected to make presentations.