Rebuilding after disaster: Speed versus sustainability

PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his 2026 New Year message stated, “We can collectively recreate a country far better than the one we inherited.”

- By Keerthi Gunawardane

It is a powerful and hopeful statement, one that resonates deeply with a nation repeatedly tested by economic collapse, governance failures, and now yet another natural disaster.The real question is not whether we can rebuild Sri Lanka better. The question is whether we are learning from past mistakes and rebuilding in the right way, or whether we are once again mistaking speed for progress.

The recent devastation caused by the Ditwah cyclone offers a critical test of our national maturity, institutional discipline, and commitment to long-term resilience.

In the immediate aftermath of any disaster, speed is essential. Roads must reopen, communities must reconnect, and economic activity must resume. However, urgency should never replace accountability.

Following the cyclone, several upcountry roads were badly damaged or completely washed away due to landslides and uncontrolled runoff from hill areas. Reports even indicated that soil displacement from the hill country travelled as far as Kotmale, highlighting the scale and seriousness of the environmental impact.

Yet, within weeks, we began hearing official statements that:

Road networks have been restored

Transport is now possible

Major connectivity has been reestablished

These announcements may reassure the public but they raise an uncomfortable and necessary question: Have these roads been rebuilt to withstand the next disaster?

Reconstruction is not merely about putting asphalt back on washed-out land. It requires:

Proper geotechnical assessments

Slope stabilisation and drainage design

Compliance with engineering and safety standards

Independent quality audits

Have the newly repaired roads:

Been designed according to international or nationally accepted engineering standards?

Undergone quality checks during construction?

Been audited after completion?