National Policy on Disaster Management, 2010 (Sri Lanka)

The National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) is a core component of Sri Lanka’s national regime for disaster management. It articulates agreed overarching principles and preferred outcomes for disaster management in Sri Lanka. It also provides policy directives to address the issues such as inadequate coordination among stakeholder agencies, duplication of efforts and insufficient policy directives to reduce the human and economic impacts of disasters which were identified in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami and the other recent disaster situations. 

The Policy is intended to be a high-level statement of ‘how things should be’ for Sri Lanka to be as resilient and safe as possible from disaster risks. The NPDM, in particular, establishes detailed management arrangements, mechanisms, responsibilities and timeframes for actions to give effect to the Policy. 

The Policy aligns with the Government of Sri Lanka 2010 Development Policy Framework, Mahinda Chintana: Vision for the Future. It calls for creation of a culture of safety of the nation through systematic management of disaster risks. It also calls for strengthened relevant laws; reduced land degradation; and reduced disaster losses through training and awareness for the public. In addition, the Policy is informed by international best practices, including the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters, as endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.