Sri Lanka’s post-cyclone recovery effort stands at a crossroads as the Government rolls out sweeping disaster management reforms amid one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent years.
The latest meeting of the National Council for Disaster Management, convened under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, reflects renewed political attention after years of institutional dormancy. Yet the growing gap between strategic planning and on-the-ground recovery is becoming increasingly visible.
The Council approved steps toward establishing a National Integrated Disaster Management Mechanism and amending the Disaster Management Act, signalling a shift toward centralised coordination and data-driven decision-making. While these reforms aim to correct long-standing weaknesses, their immediate impact on rebuilding homes, restoring livelihoods, and resettling displaced families remains uncertain.
Cyclone Ditwah has affected an estimated 2.2 million people, damaging over 118,000 houses and forcing tens of thousands into temporary shelters. For many, daily survival now depends less on long-term planning frameworks and more on rapid relief delivery, simplified compensation processes, and swift reconstruction approvals.
A key concern emerging from the Council discussions is procedural overload. New proposals such as the Central Fragile Area Management Plan, digital data platforms, and certification systems for landslide mitigation require inter-agency coordination that Sri Lanka has historically struggled to execute efficiently. Delays in data validation and updates have already slowed beneficiary identification, a problem acknowledged by both the President and the Opposition Leader.
The President’s pledge to relocate families from high-risk zones and build 8,000 houses by 2026 offers hope but also raises questions about timelines and interim solutions. Previous resettlement programmes have often stalled due to land acquisition disputes, funding gaps, and administrative inertia. Without emergency fast-track mechanisms, affected families may remain in limbo for years.
Even routine relief measures have encountered obstacles.The Rs. 25,000 flood-cleaning allowance, designed as immediate assistance, has faced implementation issues serious enough to require direct presidential orders for resolution. Such delays expose weaknesses in local-level coordination, despite central policy clarity.
The establishment of a Foreign Aid Coordination Committee is intended to ensure transparency and accountability. However, humanitarian agencies caution that excessive clearance procedures during emergencies can undermine responsiveness and discourage rapid donor engagement a risk Sri Lanka can ill afford amid declining external assistance.
Lessons from past disasters further complicate policy choices. The Government’s disclosure of heavy financial losses under the 2016 flood insurance scheme highlights fiscal risks, but postponing reforms until ideal models are designed could leave disaster victims without adequate protection.Sri Lanka’s challenge now is balance: reforming institutions without paralysing recovery. Unless policy decisions are accelerated, legal bottlenecks eased, and emergency authority devolved, disaster governance reform may inadvertently deepen human suffering instead of alleviating it
The post Government’s Policy Reforms Risk Delaying Cyclone Recovery appeared first on LNW Lanka News Web.
