Ninth Meeting of the Select Committee - 17 March 2005

An Italian delegation led by the Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, HE Salvatore Zotta, and comprising experts in the field of disaster management made their presentations to the Select Committee at the ninth meeting. Professor Kapila Dahanayake, Senior Professor of Geology from the University of Peradeniya and Dr Lochana Guneratne, Architect and Urban Planner also attended the meeting.

Professor Jeninee began by giving an overview of the recommendations the Italian delegation had to make. She stated that they would like to adopt an exchange programme to share cultural and scientific knowledge between the two countries. She then outlined the disaster prevention plan that is in place in Italy.

Professor Feruchchi spoke on the need for a digital model construction, focusing on geomorphological studies on the coastal belt of Sri Lanka. He stated that the Italian government would like to extend their cooperation to Sri Lanka in going forward with this system. Digital monitoring of a country done by an overhead satellite can identify areas vulnerable to natural disasters.

Professor Kapila Dahanayake said that Sri Lanka has the appropriate mechanisms in place but it needs to strengthen it by focusing on all natural disasters. He stated that education is the key with regards to mitigating the impact of natural disasters and thanked the Italian delegation for the assistance offered.