Evaluation of gaps in early warning mechanisms and evacuation procedures for coastal communities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Purpose Even though Sri Lanka has established Early Warning (EW) mechanisms and Evacuation Procedures (EP) for the communities affected by the coastal disasters, there are several gaps, which hinder effective mechanisms in operation of disaster management practices. These gaps affect both the vulnerable communities and relevant authorities involved in the Disaster Management sector. This paper aims to identify and evaluate those gaps while providing adequate solutions. Design/methodology/approach For that, questionnaire surveys were carried out with a sample size of 217 via an online survey (117) among the urban level and interviews and telephone interviews (100) with the village level coastal communities. Data analysis was carried out using statistical analysis of questionnaire surveys and grounded theory was used for in-depth qualitative study. Findings Primary and secondary data obtained from the surveys were categorized under five themes, namely, response to early warning systems, evacuation routes, shelters, drills and training, effect of having a family vehicle, relatives and domestic animals, evacuation of people with special needs and cooperation with local government units. This paper analyses these themes in detail. Originality/value While critically evaluating the gaps in existing early warning mechanisms and evacuation procedures, this paper identifies correlations between some of the gaps and recommendations as well. Input from the international academics were also obtained at different forums and have strengthen the findings to overcome the barriers, which hinder successful mechanisms.

Identifying gaps in early warning mechanisms and evacuation procedures for tsunamis in Sri Lanka, with a special focus on the use of social media

“…Currently, dedicated mobile applications and social media have become the most efficient and popular in terms of emergency response and disaster informationsharing platforms globally (Shehara et al, 2019a). However, a recent study carried out in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka has concluded that the use of modern communication channels for disaster communication is low at the village level for disaster communication (Perera et al, 2020).…”

“…Lack of space, drinking water, and sanitary facilities have become a major issue, especially for people with special needs (Jayasiri et al, 2018b). Currently, the cooperation of local government and sub-national administrative officials in the country related to evacuation planning is not satisfactory (Perera et al, 2020). Lack of funding, lack of preparedness on evacuation plans, less information, and limited use of technology can be identified as major reasons behind these existing conditions (Malalgoda, 2014).…”

“…However, the effectiveness of the existing Early Warning System for Tsunami and other coastal hazards was questioned several times. Several studies that were conducted to identify barriers and enablers in coastal disaster resilience have highlighted existing gaps in the Early Warning (EW) and Evacuation Procedures (EP) pertaining to coastal hazards (Perera et al, 2020;Rathnayake et al, 2020). These gaps and provided recommendations are identified mainly under key themes such as governance, modes of EW and EP dissemination, and the response of authorities and community.…”

Innovative Solutions for Disaster Early Warning and Alert Systems: A Literary Review

“…Certainly, the most frequently used technologies for warning the public are sirens (Bubar et al, 2020;Kuligowski, Kuligowski, & Doermann, 2018;Perera et al, 2020;Piciullo, Calvello, & Cepeda, 2018) that are publicly announced, electronic media and the staff of competent institutions that go on the streets and inform the citizens by using appropriate speakers or megaphones (Sorensen, 2000). All the mentioned ways of informing the citizens have their advantages and disadvantages, as well as innovative improvements or alternative replacements.…”

“…Early warning systems designed for volcano, earthquake, tsunami, and ood risks may appear inadequate when dealing with illnesses like COVID-19 (Cvetković et al, 2020;Fearnley & Dixon, 2020;Öcal, Cvetković, Baytiyeh, Tedim, & Zečević, 2020). For these reasons, continuous improvement of early warning systems (LaBrecque, Rundle, & Bawden, 2019;Perera et al, 2020;Yang, Zhang, Wang, & Tang, 2018) is needed to respond to all the natural and anthropogenic risks faced by the community. In the future, cell phones might be used to communicate outlooks and warnings to rural locations that lack communications infrastructure, as could satellite-based broadcasts of danger warnings to remote areas (Glantz, 2003;Indrasari, Iswanto, & Andayani, 2018;Toya & Skidmore, 2018).…”