Sri Lanka moves to strengthen disaster risk management

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) chaired the first Project Board Meeting of an initiative to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster risk management system at the Ministry of Defence on October 9, 2026.

The meeting focused on improving the country’s ability to manage disaster risks, strengthening the preparedness of government institutions and improving coordination among relevant agencies.

During the discussions, the Defence Secretary stressed the importance of cooperation and effective coordination among all stakeholders to strengthen disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Ms. Azusa Kubota, and European Union Head of Cooperation for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Ms. Virginie Lafleur-Tighe, participated in the meeting.

The Directors General of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) also attended, along with senior officials from UNDP, the Irrigation Department, the Department of Meteorology, the Ministry of Public Administration, the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC), Save the Children and other relevant institutions.