Australian funding to make more Sri Lankan towns resilient to disasters

The Australian government will provide Rs 130 million to improve planning and community resilience in four disaster prone cities, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Akkaraipattu.

The latest funding is in addition to earlier Australian funding of Australian $ 1,000,000 in 2012 for disaster preparedness in Balangoda, Batticaloa, Kalmunai and Ratnapura.

The programme will result in the development of 'Disaster Resilient City Development Strategies' in each location.

The 12 month project which commenced this month is implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in collaboration with project partners - the University of Moratuwa (UoM), Urban Development Authority (UDA), Ministry of Disaster Management (MDM) and the Municipalities / Local Authorities and communities of the four cities.

The selected cities are highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, lightning strikes and strong wind.

Over the next 12 months UN-Habitat and project partners will support Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Akkaraipattu to assess vulnerability, prepare disaster preparedness plans and develop building guidelines for each city.

The UDA and the Disaster Management Centre will be closely involved in each location. The project will empower local communities and local government authorities. At the conclusion of the project, trained community based disaster response teams will work closely with local authorities to implement the disaster preparedness plans.

Australia's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Robyn Mudie, said: "We are pleased to extend our partnership with UN-Habitat and expand assistance to another four city based communities living in disaster prone areas of Sri Lanka.

"Natural disasters can take a heavy toll on human life and livelihoods as well as the broader economy. Effective planning has the potential to reduce these social and economic costs. We hope this project will allow the targeted cities to grow and prosper, and also demonstrate to other cities and towns in Sri Lanka the benefits of effective planning and disaster preparedness."

Commenting on the project, UN-Habitat Programme Manager for Sri Lanka Lakshman Perera said: "We highly appreciate the commitment of the Australian government in continuing their support for disaster risk reduction in cities.

"This initiative will replicate the good practices of the previous disaster risk reduction project, promote disaster resilient urban planning and significantly improve the quality of life of the communities by minimising their exposure to disasters".