Disaster and civic responsibility-Part |

CYCLONE

- By Nuwan Kumarasinghe

Ditwah, which recently swept across Sri Lanka, has resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 640 lives. Over 200 individuals remain missing, and over 2.3 million people have been affected. Comprehensive data on damage to livestock and property is still being compiled.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), flooding has impacted roughly 20 per cent of Sri Lanka’s land area, an estimated 1.1 million hectares. Initial assessments place the economic loss between $ 6 and 7 billion, though this figure is expected to rise considerably. Economic analysts caution that Cyclone Ditwah may significantly disrupt the country’s ongoing efforts toward economic recovery.

The purpose of this article is not to address unverified claims suggesting that the cyclone could have been predicted with greater accuracy. Instead, it aims to reflect on our collective civic responsibilities during a national disaster of this scale and to consider the measures necessary to minimise future loss of life and property.

Disasters are generally categorised into three types:

Cyclone Ditwah is classified as a natural disaster. Effective management of such events requires action across several key stages: preparedness, emergency response, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Following the 26 December 2004 tsunami, Sri Lanka enacted the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005, establishing the legal framework for disaster governance. Under this Act, the National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM) was created as the apex body, supported by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), which is responsible for policy implementation and operational coordination.