Adhering to early monsoon pre-emptive planning, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has already commenced initial work in preparedness activities with regard to the South West monsoon season which is expected in the month of May 2021. Considering the prevalent situation in the country due to the third outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and complying with the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health, identifying appropriate preparedness and planning activities and programmes has certainly become a challenging task.
In this regard the DMC arranged an online Zoom meeting on 4th May 2021 with the participation of technical agencies and related stakeholders to share the climate outlook for the upcoming South West monsoon season and also the likely impact of the disasters that may happen due to heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides, cutting failures etc. This meeting presided by the Director General – Disaster Management Centre (DMC) witnessed the senior officers of key technical institutions such as the Department of Meteorology, National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and Department of Irrigation expressed their views on the probable climatic forecasts based on different scenarios and the impact of hazards in districts which are likely to get affected during the South West monsoon.
The valuable insights and advice provided by the medical professionals of the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division of the Ministry of Health did add value to the overall discussion, especially with regard to the management of safety centres amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Views expressed by the UN Resident Coordinator enriched this timely online discussion and the informative presentation done by the medical officer representing WHO, further substantiated the facts regarding the current pandemic situation prevalent in the country. Moreover, the presentations done by the relief agencies such as the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) and the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) provided an understanding of the urgent need of medical equipment and other items which are needed to strengthen the facilities of identified safety centres.
Overall, this virtual online meeting paved the path for all key international and local humanitarian agencies to be enlightened about the likely disaster impacts which helps them to identify ways and means of providing needed relief during emergencies. More than 200 participants representing the government and private sectors, INGOs, NGOs, volunteer and humanitarian agencies, academics etc. joined this interactive session which was successfully organized and hosted by DMC as a key preparedness planning activity, at national level.
Click on the following link to access the soft copies of the presentations of this meeting.