Improving Infrastructure to Reduce Future Vulnerabilities to Natural Disasters: Review of Infrastructure Development Associated With Post Tsunami Reconstruction in Sri Lanka

An under-sea earthquake near the west coast of Northern Sumatra set off a series of other earthquakes in December 2004 and led to a widespread disaster, Tsunami 2004. Sri Lanka faced one of the worst natural disasters with a large proportion of losses in housing and infrastructure. The developing countries are less able to face the impacts of disasters and so it is imperative to develop the infrastructure of the poorer nations in order to quip them to manage disasters. As a nation, we should demonstrate firm resolve in protecting infrastructures from further disasters. This paper affirms current infrastructure reconstruction process in Sri Lanka is basically hindered by the lack of institutional capacity and current security problems in the north and east of the country. Sri Lanka has much to learn from other settings and there is a strong need to develop the capacity. The infrastructure reconstruction programmes should also aim to change the vulnerable conditions for the development of the country.