Tales of Post-Disaster Recovery in Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera
In the wake of cyclone Ditwah, one of the worst environmental disasters in Sri Lanka directly affecting 2.3 million people across the country, recovery remains a long and arduous process. State authorities with a great deal of support from local communities, charitable organizations, foreign governments and others continue to provide the essentials including food, shelter and basic utilities to affected communities. Later stages would involve other complicated processes including rehousing displaced groups and preparing communities to more effectively face similar disasters in the future. The latter is essential given that extreme weather events are more likely to take place with climate change.
A few years ago, I was part of a research team trying to understand the impact of environmental disasters on high risk regions in Sri Lanka. This process shed some light on what the path forward might involve. I share these thoughts and lessons learned in the hope that they are useful in the context of more severe disasters such as the recent cyclone.
The first lesson that I learned was how disasters have long lasting and wide ranging impacts. Certainly, the loss of lives and damage to homes and public property is a devastating blow in itself. Over 600 individuals lost their lives to Ditwah and estimate suggests that one in every twelve buildings were adversely affected from floods alone. Beyond that, disasters across Sri Lanka, which include not only flooding and landslides but also droughts and severe storms disrupt lives and livelihoods in many ways. It’s reflected in destroyed crops, missed days of work, missed school days and clinic days. It extends beyond the physical into the social and psychological. The fear and anxiety of facing another disaster in the future along with the grief from the loss of loved ones remain years after major disasters. Those who were forced to relocate have lost ties built over generations with neighbours and fellow villagers. To understand the full extent of extreme weather events, it is necessary to continue investigation into these aspects as well.
The next lesson I learned was on disaster preparedness at the community level. There are ongoing conversations highlighting valid concerns on the lack of adequate and timely warnings by officials as well as poor communication at the local level and theabsence of Tamil language messaging that has led to excessive and preventable damage. During my field visits a few years prior, I noticed that those living in certain areas exposed to regular floods were more aware of flood risks and had taken matters into their own hands to prepare for impending disasters. Villagers in an area close to Bulathsinhala in close proximity to the Kalu Ganga had widely known evacuation points and community leaders who regularly coordinated disaster responses with some support from government officials in the region. One or two canoes were also commonly seen in each neighbourhood. At first these seemed an odd sight in the middle of a field or rubber plantation but local residents explained that it is a necessary precaution as flood waters are known to rise rapidly throughout those regions. One community leader also added that due to the cumbersome responses from authorities, he was in the process of trying to establish a community level disaster relief center with essential tools for rescues and relief provision. This experience showed me that such efforts can provide best practices to other regions that may not have previously experienced similar disasters. Nevertheless, it also highlights the need for a more systematic response from institutions.
Another lesson I learned from the same community was that manmade structures can exacerbate disasters. There is already a discussion on how urban growth without proper planning has worsened the effects of the recent cyclone by destroying natural habitats and existing protections such as forest cover. This extends to wider infrastructure development as well. For instance, the residents around Bulathsinhala raised concerns that while the region had historically experienced some level of flooding, the extent of the damage had worsened with the inception of the Kukule Ganga reservoir project as seen in the 2008 floods. Although relevant authorities have argued that this is not the case and adequate warnings have been issued as sluice gates are opened to release excess water, tensions remain high in the region. This is a critical point that should be considered in future infrastructure development projects, particularly during the rebuilding phase in the aftermath of Ditwah. Impacts of infrastructure projects on local communities should be considered at greater lengths and measures to mitigate adverse effects should firmly be put in place to prevent such calamities.
One more lesson I learned during these visits was how extreme weather related disasters have compounding effects on the entire eco system. This insight comes from speaking to residents around Sooriyawewa in the Southern region that is exposed to severe droughts. Prior to my visit, I had assumed the harsh sunlight and limited water itself would be the primary culprit of crop damage in the area. But to my surprise, the villagers revealed that a major threat to crops arise from the local wildlife including elephants and peacocks. These animals venture into farmlands much more regularly during droughts as food and water become scarce in forests escalating human-wildlife conflicts. In the case of Ditwah too, it is essential that we take a whole systems approach and consider the wider impacts on the eco system. The World Health Organization has warned of the risks of diseases that could spread due to the contamination of water sources from deceased animals and animal faeces including rat fever (leptospirosis). Additionally, the Sri Lanka Medical Association has warned of a possible rise in mosquito borne diseases. Spreading awareness on these secondary environmental impacts is vital in minimising further negative impacts.
The final insight I share from my visits is on how haphazard planning and a lack of transparency in disaster management has led to long term issues beyond the immediate crisis. While we celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and salute those who are committed to providing relief to those affected by Ditwah, stories have also emerged on political interference in aid distribution and an inequal distribution of relief. This was clear in my own field visits as communities across the country lamented that those with the direst needs were often overlooked in favor of those who had close personal ties to officials. In flood prone regions in Kalutara, compensation for damages and rations were said to have been provided in abundance to those with barely a foot of water in their homes while others went without. At the same time, residents in the Kegalle district affected by landslides stated that close associates of the Grama Niladhari and other officials received preferred housing units or lands in more prime locations to rebuild homes.
Not only that, haphazard planning of relocation initiatives has had lasting impacts. For instance, in the wake of the 2017 Aranayake landslides that compelled entire villages to be relocated, neighborhoods and communities were split up as many were thrust into entirely new social settings a great distance away from their original villages. Likewise, individuals relocated to housing schemes from flood prone regions in Colombo found themselves alienated in the midst of new neighbors hailing from circumstances quite different to their own. Such situations have then led to tense interactions in the newly established residences lasting several years. Those living in the Ruwandeniya housing scheme established following the 2017 landslides highlighted yet another concern. The design of the houses presented were at odds with the needs of villagers. One example was that those delegated to upper floors were forced to switch from wood fire stoves to gas stoves despite this not being economically viable for many families.
Given the scale of the recent disaster, it is likely that many affected families would require significant assistance in rebuilding their lives. These experiences from previous disasters serve as both cautionary tales and examples of best practices that may be useful in tackling this mammoth task ahead.
