24th Meeting of the Select Committee - 22 June 2005

Mahinda Samarasinghe began the 24th meeting of the Select Committee by stating that the third draft of the Select Committee’s recommendations on the steps Sri Lanka should take to effectively manage a natural disaster has been published.

He also spoke on the Committee’s experiences when they undertook a study tour to the Hawaii tsunami-warning centre and the Pacific Disaster Centre (PDC). He thanked Allen Clark, the Executive Director of the PDC, for visiting Sri Lanka to offer his expertise on the subject of natural disasters.

Sarathchandra Weerawarnakula, Director of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau, G H P Dharmaratne, Director General of the Meteorology Department, Prof Kapila Dahanayake, Senior Professor of Geology, University of Peradeniya, Dr Greg French, the Australian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, Dr Deheragoda, Head of Geography Department, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Ramraj Narasingham from the International Organization of Migration (IOM), Dr Wilbert Kehelpannala, Senior Research Fellow for the Institute of Fundamental Studies, P H Dharmaratne, Surveyor for the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau, Mary Shanen, Resident representative of the IOM, Manohari Dharmadasa, Economic advisor for the US Ambassador, and Kesal De Silva, Director General of the Irrigation Department were present at the meeting.

Allen Clark started his presentation by giving a brief introduction on what the Pacific Disaster Centre is and what it does. The centre was started 12 years ago in Honolulu after a large hurricane struck the island of Kauai in Hawaii and exposed the lack of preparedness of the Hawaiian Government.

He stated that the two key elements in being prepared for any disaster are having an increased warning time and the awareness of knowing what the different phases of a natural disaster are. Having an increased warning time needs to be combined with all relevant authorities and affected people having a common picture to operate from. The different phases in disaster preparedness are: Prevention, Preparation, Mitigation, Response and Recovery.

Clarke noted that people get the roles of the Pacific Warning Center and the Pacific Disaster Center mixed up - so he explained that while the former issues warnings, the latter, in which he is a part of, takes the signal, formulates a bulletin and sends it to the relevant authorities. He stated that the whole process takes six minutes and that the PDC is in the process of expanding this capability.

He began his presentation by speaking on the importance of using the technology and data collected and making an accurate real time forecast for emergency preparedness. He also spoke on the need to do hazard mapping where raw data is taken, digitized and then superimposed to model a 3D figure with resulting analysis. This helps in identifying what parts of the country are vulnerable to natural disasters.

The PDC has collaborated with an Australian NGO to look into early tsunami damage assessment where information on damage assessment mapping via GIS and GPS are looked into to better understand the impact. The project also looks into a web relief collaboration where information generated by field surveys are then transferred into the United Nations Humanitarian Agency resource base.

The PDC is involved in many projects with countries affected by the tsunami. The centre is working with the Thai and Philippines Government to set up Natural Disaster Warning Centres and it is also helping to set up an information system with the collaboration of the Governor of Banda Aceh where he can monitor all projects that are taking place in the region.

Sarathchandra Weerawarnakula, Director of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau, stated that they have taken the first step in developing risk mapping for the country but needed to develop real time forecasting here. Allen Clark responded that with landslides, it was real time warning and not real time forecasting that is needed.

G H P Dharmaratne, Director General of the Meteorology Department said that most landslides in Sri Lanka are caused due to a heavy precipitation. He said that the department has rain gauges but does not have the ability to do real time forecasting. The main problem they face is that they obtain the relevant data after 24 hours and then it is too late because the event has already happened.

Clark responded by saying that NOAH is conducting a project where the data being sent was gridded - this will help forecast high rainfall. It will not do away with the more expensive Doplar radar system which is the method currently being used for real time forecasting.

Weerawarnakula stated that although modeling, mapping and simulation were good; it was data that is needed. Institutional capacity in Sri Lanka is limited.

Clark explained another project the PDC was planning on doing - the formulation of tsunami inundation risk maps, which will scientifically look into the risk of maximum impact on the maximum population. This will identify two things: exactly where the tsunami tidal gauges should be put and will highlight which areas are vulnerable to high impact inundation.

He added that the coastal belt of any country is highly populated and therefore very vulnerable to inundation caused by tsunamis and other natural disasters. He stressed on the fact that planning was the key to a successful integration of science and policy.

Dr Greg French, the Australian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka stated that he would help facilitate the programme of initiating a MA degree in Disaster Management in Sri Lanka with the cooperation of local universities.