A-PAD SL at the Knowledge Dissemination Event on Climate and Disaster Ready Project

A-PAD Sri Lanka participated in the Knowledge Dissemination Event for the Climate and Disaster Ready Project, organised by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) Sri Lanka The event brought together government, academia, civil society, and the private sector for a day of insightful knowledge-sharing.

Mr. Chathura Liyanarachchi, Director of Preparedness and Planning at DMC, welcomed participants and noted that the initiative would be both useful and foundational for the country’s disaster resilience.

Eng. Bandula Wickramarachchi presented the new Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS) Handbook and Curriculum, contextualising the need with a comparison of damage between the 2017 floods and Cyclone Ditwah. He highlighted that compliance with BCMS standards is increasingly a requirement for participation in global supply chains, making resilience planning vital for SMEs, the backbone of Sri Lanka’s economy. Ms. Shifara Ismail of Wayamba Printpack shared a powerful story of business recovery after a devastating fire.

Prof. Jagath Munasinghe presented the Consolidated Research Handbook, championing locally led DRR and climate adaptation solutions and argued that spending on resilient communities today is an investment, not a cost.

The day closed with the panel “Roots of Resilience: From Tradition to Transformation,” moderated by Dr. Lakruwan Dassanayake of WFP. Prof. Mohamed Mahees called for grounding resilience work in traditional, localised knowledge and grassroots empowerment, while Dr. Ananda Mallawatantri and Dr. Rajan Thavaseelan spoke to the role of community engagement and civil society in translating evidence into policy and practice. Mr. Chathura Liyanarachchi closed with reflections on climate-resilient water planning guided by international standards.

A-PAD SL valued the opportunity to engage with this important national dialogue.