Early Warning Systems

Sri Lanka Still in Search of a Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan

By Amantha Perera
About six months after a massive tsunami slammed the island nation of Sri Lanka on Dec. 26, 2004, large plumes of smoke could be frequently seen snaking skywards from the beach near the village of Sainathimaruthu, just east of Kalmunai town, about 300 km from the capital, Colombo.

Building Disaster Resilience Amidst Rampant Poverty

By Amantha Perera
Of the thousands of landslide-prone villages he has visited and worked with, R M S Bandara, a high-ranking official from Sri Lanka’s National Building Resources Organisation (NBRO), says only one has made him sit up and take note.

In Sri Lanka, the Tempest Comes Unannounced

By Amantha Perera
It was several hours before dawn when Afthas Niflal, a young fisherman in southern Sri Lanka, felt the sea start to rumble beneath him.

Water, Water Everywhere – and No Early Warning in Sight

By Ignatius Banda
Muzeka Muyeyekwa from Mapfekera Village in Zimbabwe’s  Manicaland Province wonders what he will feed his three children for lunch.


james rondinelli