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Sri Lanka Urban Multi-hazard Disaster Mitigation Project (SLUMDMP)

The project works towards building local capacity for identifying hazards and for selecting appropriate strategies to avoid or reduce hazard-related losses. In this way, the project will assist municipal officials to develop improved tools and skills for development planning and risk management. The project will have three major components: Multi-Hazard Mapping, Training, and Networking/Policy Development. Phase 1 of the Multi-Hazard component will focus on multi-hazard mapping, vulnerability and risk assessment, and generation of mitigation options. Phase 2 will involve the selection of appropriate mitigation strategies and implementation of them through a municipal action plan, land use guidelines, and public awareness campaigns.

Risk Control Planning Workshop January 1999

SLUMDMP organized a workshop on "Integrating Natural Hazards into the Planning Process," for UDA planners. About seventy-five planners, representing district and provincial councils, attended the workshop held January 21-22, 1999 in Colombo. ADPC consultant Ms. Linda Noson conducted the workshop, while ADPC consultant Mrs. Shirley Mattingly and SLUMDMP Project Manager Mr. Arambepola made presentations. Participants received a workbook on Risk Control Planning, produced by Ms. Noson. This fifty-seven page document covers decision making and administrative processes for dealing with risk. The workbook focuses on the identification of risk control measures to reduce the frequency, severity, or unpredictability of natural hazard impacts on a community - and as such adopts a local community perspective throughout.

Our Partners Continuing with sketches of local project partners in the AUDMP network, we introduce NBRO, UDA and CHPB of Sri Lanka: National Building Research Organization (NBRO), established in 1984, began its landslide studies in 1990 with support from UNDP and UNCHS. NBRO has developed detailed digitized maps to serve as tools for planning of settlement and infrastructure development in the hill country and has drafted a manual, "Site Selection, Development Planning and Construction in the Hilly Regions of Sri Lanka," which will form the basis for development of guidelines under the SLUMDMP. NBRO also has a landslide database and a detailed methodology for assessing landslide hazard areas. In order to undertake assessments in a limited time under the SLUMDMP, NBRO will test a Rapid Assessment procedure for mapping landslide threat in the city of Ratnapura. Urban Development Authority, the chief planning entity of Sri Lanka, is a financially self-supporting institution. UDA has successfully implemented many large projects, including the Sabaragamuwa Regional Structure Plan, which produced a mapping of landslide-prone areas and a divisional land use plan to cope with current and expected natural hazard and urban environment problems. UDA has received support through USAID projects, resulting in the production of environmental workbooks for Bandarawela and Hambantota, mapping of municipal systems, critical facilities, housing, health and other local concerns. UDA is currently developing its GIS capability, which will enhance its ability to access, update and disseminate digitized information on the demonstration project. Center for Housing Planning and Building (CHPB) is a training and research center established in 1979 with a grant from the Government of the Netherlands, with a primary objective of providing information services in the housing and human settlements sector. It does this through in-service training for professionals and administrators in the housing and construction sectors. Since 1985 CHPB has been a permanent division of the Ministry of Local Government, Housing & Construction. CHPB carries out training in areas related to housing, construction management and supervision, project management, and human settlements development. The training programs target a variety of professionals - a current program targets the construction industry, including small-scale contractors, national-level public sector agencies, private sector (housing and property developers), provincial councils and local authorities. Apart from training, CHPB carries out research to support curriculum development for training courses and policymaking.