The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) has played a crucial role in Sri Lanka through its administration of the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP) and the Sustainable Anticipatory Actions through Preparedness in South Asia (SNAP) program. In continued efforts to support disaster preparedness, ADPC, alongside USAID-Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID BHA) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has been providing essential technical and financial support to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) of Sri Lanka. This collaboration facilitated in supporting DMC to organize the national technical symposium titled “Reflections on Two Decades from Tragedy to Resilience: Retrospect of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami” held on 4th November 2024, at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The symposium, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, was attended by over 200 participants from various sectors within the disaster management community. The Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), who graced this event as the Chief Guest, emphasized the importance of long term planning and sustained efforts to reduce disaster losses. The event featured four technical sessions, each chaired by experts in relevant fields. As a partnering organization, ADPC played a significant role in the second panel discussion on the theme of “Governance and Institutional Resilience for Tsunami Preparedness: Fostering Transformative Locally Led Actions.” This session was chaired by Dr. Sisira Madurapperuma, Director of ADPC and included eminent panellists such as Dr. Buddika Hapuarachchi, Policy Specialist and Team Lead (Climate and Environment) at UNDP Sri Lanka; Ms. Safeenaz Hassan, Secretary General of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Maldives; Mr. Dustin Shiau, Regional Humanitarian Advisor - South and Central Asia at USAID BHA and Dr. Janaka Hemathilaka, CEO/Executive Director of Janathakshan GTE Ltd. and Co-Chair of the Sri Lanka Preparedness Partnership (SLPP).

The Technical Session 2 panel discussion emphasized enhancing governance and institutional capacity at both national and local levels for effective Tsunami preparedness. Key outcomes included assessing the impact of governance reforms on disaster response, translating national policies into actionable local plans, building institutional capacity for humanitarian coordination and integrating community insights into preparedness strategies. These efforts aim to reinforce inter agency coordination, empower local authorities and establish disaster preparedness as a core governance function while valuing local knowledge and community involvement.

The session highlighted the importance of risk sensitive planning emphasising marginalized groups, building empowered resilient communities and adapting traditional knowledge with evolving technology. These discussions are expected to significantly strengthen disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster risk management (DRM) efforts, better equipping Sri Lanka to face future Tsunami threats and achieve Tsunami Ready Country status.

The invaluable support extended by ADPC as a leading partnering agency of the event, along with the assistance provided by the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP) and the Sri Lanka Preparedness Partnership (SLPP), was recognized and appreciated by the DMC. 

For more information and to view the event and technical sessions, please visit the YouTube link: https://youtube.com/live/QZTOfDrvPa0?feature=share