About The Division
The major factor that contributed for the subject of Disaster Management to become so important was the Tsunami Disaster, which occurred on 26 December 2004. The loss of human lives, the economic impact and the social impact caused by this highlighted the necessity of a systematic methodology and a legal framework for disaster management, which remained as a social welfare activity until then. Accordingly, a Parliamentary Select Committee was established in order to define an institutional and legal structure, which was required to face this type of disaster.
Accordingly, the National Council for Disaster Management and the Disaster Management Centre were established as per the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005. In order to further strengthen the aforesaid institutions a Cabinet Ministry was setup for the subject of Disaster Management and Human Rights as per the Extraordinary Gazette Notification issued on 20th February, 2006 and the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Disaster Management as per the Gazette Notification issued on 30th April, 2010 connecting it to the National Disaster Relief Services Centre. Department of Meteorology, Disaster Management Centre, National Building Research Organization and National Disaster Relief Services Centers were named as the institutions to fulfill the tasks assigned to the Ministry by Gazette Notification No. 1933/13-2015, 21 September 2015.
After that, Disaster Management was established as a section in the Ministry of Public Administration and functioned as a section under the Ministry of Defence as per the Gazette Notification No. 2153/12 dated 10.12.2019. Again, it was brought under the state Ministry of Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management and it was renamed as the State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management by the Gazette Notification No. 2215/20 and dated 16.02.2021.
National Council for Disaster Management, Department of Meteorology, Disaster Management Centre, National Building Research Organization and National Disaster Relief Services Centre provided a tremendous service to implement the tasks assigned to the Disaster Management Division.
Safety of the People is ensured through the tremendous service done by those institutions in pre disaster situations, during a disaster and in post disaster situations by implementing the tasks assigned to the State Ministry of Disaster Management
Safer Sri Lanka
To facilitate the prosperity and dignity of human life through effective prevention and mitigation of disasters caused by natural and human induced hazards in Sri Lanka.
- Implement the National Disaster Management Policy.
- Implement real time early warning and dissemination mechanism.
- Develop and implement Disaster Management Plans at all levels.
- Mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction into development planning process.
- Mainstream Disaster Impact Assessment into development process.
- Implement Disaster Mitigation measures.
- Conduct landslide risk assessment and issuing of clearance certificates.
- Provide Relief assistance to disaster victims.
- Conduct research and development activities in the field or disaster management.
- Implement post disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.
- Coordination between the institutions in the field of disaster management and other parties.
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- Strengthen the institutional structure by coordinating Disaster Management Center and Disaster Relief Services Center to identify natural disaster risks, to prevent disasters, to mitigate disasters and to increase efficiency in the process of restoring the lives of the victims.
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- Strengthen the Department of Meteorology with new technology and knowledge enabling them to give accurate forecasting of disaster situations.
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- Establish a “National Disaster Data Bank” including information like the areas affected by disasters, disaster prone areas, victims of disasters, property damaged by disasters, business and agricultural lands.
Tasks Assigned to the Disaster Management Division
- Formulate policies, programmes and projects related to the subject of disaster management in departments and statutory bodies related to it and follow up and evaluation
- Coordinate and manage the mitigation of natural disaster and manmade disasters, response, recovery and relief services.
- Prepare national emergency operation plan and national disaster management plan based on national policies.
- Initiate and coordinate foreign funded projects on disaster mitigation, responses and recovery.
- Coordinate with the ministries, public institutions, local and international non-governmental organizations to ascertain the proper functioning of the above tasks.
- Promote the constructions of houses that are resilient to environmental risks.
- Promote research and development activities related to the technology appropriate for housing and construction.
- Conduct meteorological surveys and research.
- Forecast natural disasters and inform the relevant sections in this regard.
- Coordinate awareness programmes on natural disasters and man-made disasters.
- Launch rescue operations in natural and man-made disasters.
- Coordinate international humanitarian relief services.
- Monitor activities related to all the subjects assigned to the departments and statutory bodies related to the subject of disaster management.