Important Aspects of Evacuation Planning for the Coastal Communities in Sri Lanka

Purpose The current National Early Warning System for Sri Lanka (NEWS: SL) was established after the devastations of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Although early warning (EW) systems and evacuation procedures are in place, several areas which need improvements have been emphasized in recent studies carried out in the country. Therefore, this paper aims to outline the gaps in existing EW and EP related to tsunami and other coastal hazards with a special focus on the use of social media for disaster communication based on age groups. Design/methodology/approach This study has drawn on a review of past studies carried out by the same research team to identify the scope of the study. In addition to that, a conceptual framework was developed for the use of social media in the event of a disaster. Based on this conceptual framework, an online questionnaire was administered to identify the current status of the use of social media in Sri Lanka during a disaster situation. In total, 408 responses were collected and analyzed using the binary logistic regression method to evaluate the variation of different predictors associated with the use of social media for disaster communication. Findings Findings of the study revealed that the use of social media for disaster communication depends on the previous experience of users and their age. The gender of users does not affect the use of social media for disaster communication. Therefore, the accuracy and timeliness of disaster information distributed via social media should be improved further to enhance the use of social media for disaster communication. Moreover, the findings have highlighted unaddressed issues in areas such as governance; communication of technical agencies; evacuation and shelters; and response of the community. Originality/value This paper has identified key areas that need attention in the process of enhancing the use of social media for disaster communication. More use of technological platforms such as social media for receiving disaster-related information can address issues such as bottlenecks in communication, poor awareness and lack of last-mile dissemination. Furthermore, this paper has proposed recommendations for addressing the identified gaps in the overall EW mechanisms and EP pertaining to tsunamis and other coastal hazards to enhance the coastal disaster resilience in Sri Lanka.

Section: Key Area Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sri Lankan Tsunami Early Warning Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Jayasekara

Jayathilaka

Siriwardana

et al. 2021

“…Along with these global level advancements, Sri Lanka too is in the process of adapting new mechanisms in the context of delivering MHEW alerts to the community level (Shehara et al , 2020a; Shehara et al , 2019a). In the Sri Lankan context, the initial studies denote the coastal community response toward the existing Tsunami EW mechanism (Hippola, 2020; Rathnayake, 2020; Jayasiri et al , 2020). According to the recent findings, 75% of the coastal community has lost faith in EW information and 60% are reluctant to respond to EWs given (CSB, 2021; Shehara et al , 2019b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of societal trust on multi-hazard early warning (MHEW) mechanism: Sri Lankan context

Arachchi

Siriwardana

Amaratunga³

et al. 2021

Purpose It is significant to assess the societal trust toward the new advancements in multi-hazard early warnings (MHEW) with the focus on disaster risk reduction (DRR). Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to examine the extent of societal trust behavior along with the parameters such as mode of communication and institutions of issuing early warnings (EWs). Design/methodology/approach A field questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the extent of societal trust. This was conducted in ten selected Grama Niladari divisions in Sri Lanka based on a developed hazard matrix. The fuzzy logic approach was applied to examine the trust level of collected 323 responses obtained through this. The analysis was done based on the responses on mobile-based platforms in EW and the credibility level of the warnings received through different institutions. Findings The analyzed survey responses indicated that society has a higher extent of trust toward the EWs disseminated through mobile-based platforms. Moreover, these represent a strong positive correlation among the societal trust level and the level of importance of EW dissemination through mobile-based platforms. Further, in terms of trusted stakeholders in issuing EW alerts, Disaster Management Center, Sri Lanka Police and Media ranked the highest in the Sri Lankan context. Overall, findings were visually mapped through the causal loop diagrams (CLDs). Practical implications In enhancing the effectiveness of the existing MHEW mechanism, the policy implications could be done, based on the results obtained from this research study. These could be altered with the implementation of DRR strategies with a community focus. Originality/value The fuzzy logic approach was used in the determination of the societal decision-making on the extent of trust level. Fuzzy triangulation is mainly applied in the interpretation of the results. Further, overall parameters that determine the community trust on MHEW are represented through CLDs through system dynamics application.

“…Risk in the context of disasters is identified as the superimposition of vulnerability and the hazard. According to the World Economic Forum, the top two global risks in terms of likelihood are extreme weather events and natural hazards [World Economic Forum (WEF), 2018; Jayasiri et al ,2020)]. Sri Lanka is a country, which is highly vulnerable to natural hazards as mentioned above.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applicability of the PTVA-4 model to evaluate the structural vulnerability of hospitals in Sri Lanka against tsunami

Harisuthan

Hasalanka

Kularatne

et al. 2020

Purpose This paper aims to identify the specific parameters in developing a framework to assess the structural vulnerability of hospital buildings in Sri Lanka against tsunami. Along with that, the adaptability and suitability of the existing global frameworks in the Sri Lankan context are to be assessed. Design/methodology/approach In this study, Papathoma tsunami vulnerability assessment (PTVA)-4 model was used as the base in developing the abovementioned framework. Its adaptability and suitability in assessing hospital buildings in the country were considered under the case studies conducted in six selected hospitals in the Southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Under these case studies, data collection was done using the Rapid Visual Screening method where assessments were carried out through visual observations. The collected data were analyzed according to the aforementioned model for its suitability in evaluating the structural vulnerability of hospitals in Sri Lanka, against tsunami hazard. Findings From these case studies, it was identified that the use of the PTVA-4 model alone was insufficient to assess the structural vulnerability of the hospital buildings against the tsunami. Therefore, the model must be further improved with more relevant assessing attributes related to hospitals, suitable for the Sri Lankan context. Originality/value This paper identifies the specific structural assessment parameters required in assessing hospitals in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka, considering tsunami as the main hazard condition.