Tsunami is one of the natural hazards that result in the inundation and/or erosion of coastal land and affect the safety and security of communities, the economies and relevant supporting ecosystems. The Tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka in December 2004 is widely acknowledged as the most extensive and devastating natural catastrophe in the history of the country.

Building the Sri Lankan coastal communities’ knowledge of the Tsunami risk is important to strengthen their understanding and capacity for saving lives, protect assets, community infrastructure, conserve the coastal environment and ultimately, enhance the sustainability of the entire community and country as a whole.

In this regard, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under the guidance of Director General, Major General (Retd.) Sudantha Ranasinghe, organized a discussion with key stakeholders in piloting the proposed Tsunami Ready community programme in Sri Lanka based on the guidelines of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready (IOTR) programme. This discussion was held on 4th April 2022 at the DMC conference hall.