Risk Mapping Sri Lanka

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1 Risk Mapping Sri Lanka Sector Disaster Risk Reduction & Emergency Aid January 2012 Evelien Thieme Groen & Carolien Jacobs

2 Table of Contents Fast Facts 3 HAZARDS 3 Conflict hazard 3 Tamil Tigers 3 Landmines 3 IDPs 3 Natural Hazards 4 Floods 4 Cyclones 4 Drought 4 Landslides and mudslides 5 Earthquakes and Tsunamis 5 Environmental hazards 5 Epidemics 5 VULNERABILITY 5 Indicators 5 CAPACITY 6 Government 6 Civil Society 6 International Coordination 6 SYNTHESIS 7 Resources & Contacts 7 Appendix: hazard map Sri Lanka 2

3 Democratic Socialist Republic Sri Lanka Fast Facts 1 Capital: Colombo (pop. 681,000) Population: 21,3 million Population Density: 326 / sq. km Administrative regions: 9 provinces Major ethnic groups: Sinhalese 73.8%, Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3. Major religion: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2% Official languages: Sinhala (official, national) 74%, Tamil (national) 18%, English 10% Climate: tropical monsoon Pop. Affected by natural disasters (average/year/mln people): World Risk Index: 65 (173) Cordaid sectors: CT Hazards Conflict hazard Tamil Tigers 2009 ended a 26 year long civil war between the Sri Lankan military force and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam). The LTTE, or the Tamil Tigers, are a separatist militant organisation which fought for the creation of an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka (Eastern, Northern and North Western Provinces). They have been branded a terrorist organisation and have been accused of human rights abuses by the EU following an attack on a Sri Lankan army commander in the The country of Sri Lanka was severely affected by this war economically and socially. It is estimated that up to 100 thousand people have been killed during the war on and off insurgency. After a strong military offensive of the Sri Lankan military in the last decade the LTTE were defeated in May After the defeat the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) the largest political group defending the Tamils, endeavours a federal solution instead of an independent state. Peace building and reconciliation processes are still ongoing. Alleged war crimes still need to be investigated. It seems that progress is being made in the east where IDPs have returned home and landmines have been removed. The north is still struggling. 2 Landmines The aftermath of the war left millions of landmines in past conflict zones and not all of them have yet been cleared. Sri Lanka is not part of the mine ban treaty of The government and other organisations are working on clearing the mines but it is a long term process and they lack the materials and information to clear them systematically and rapidly. 3 In 2009 there were 38 casualties of landmines compared 79 the year before. The most victims are middle-aged men and children, mostly in the months of harvest and planting. The most contaminated areas are as of December 2010 are Mullaitivu, Mannar, Ampara, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Jaffna and Trincomalee. 4 IDPs In late 2010, over 320 thousand people who had fled their homes due to the armed conflict before and after 2008 are estimated to remain internally displaced in Sri Lanka. Over 190 thousand IDPs have returned to their homes, but are still in need of protection and assistance. Among people who had been 1 CIA Factbook (2011). Sri Lanka. viewed on OCHA (2011). Sri Lanka. viewed on IRIN (2011). Asia. Sri Lanka: Landmine clearance a long-haul effort. viewed on Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor (2011). Country Profiles. Sri Lanka. viewed

4 forced to flee their homes prior to April 2008 ( old IDPs), at least 227 thousand remain in displacement. More than 70,000 of them have been displaced from areas that were declared High Security Zones. Between early April 2008 and June 2009, more than 280 thousand people ( new IDPs) have fled from the northern LTTE-controlled areas to government-controlled territory in Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Trincomalee districts, where most of them were interned in closed military-run camps. The government asserted that this internment was necessary to screen these IDPs for affiliation with the LTTE and to de-mine IDPs home areas in the north. Landmines are an important obstacle for IDPs to return home. Only some older or otherwise vulnerable people were released before late While the pace of resettlement has increased since 2010, the government now reportedly keeps some IDPs areas of origin closed for return for national security reason. In several areas in Mullaitivu District humanitarian de-mining organisations were yet clear mines in late July. Areas in Jaffna District also remained closed. Many among the more than 9 thousand IDPs remaining in Menik Farm camp originate from the closed areas in Mullaitivu, as do others among over 57 thousand people still living with host communities. The government is preparing to relocate them to Kombavil in Mullaitivu, even though most of the IDPs would reportedly prefer to return. 6 Natural Hazards Floods Floods are very common in Sri Lanka, occurring several times a year in different areas. Almost a hundred thousand people are exposed to flooding. Floods may affect hundreds of thousands of people every time and also take lives. Out of all the hazards, floods also leave the most economical damage. 7 Floods, however, are experienced more as a nuisance than an actual threat as they have become more controlled. Flood risk is spread all over the country, along coastal areas, river beds and lakes. 8 Flood risk there is throughout the year. North-east monsoon is from November until March, south-west monsoon from May to October. 9 Cyclones Sri Lanka only faces these storms occasionally. They do not occur so often and do not leave a big impact with regards to damage and lives affected. Only a few thousand people are exposed to this risk. 10 The area with the highest risk is the north-east. 11 Storm season is from May-December. 12 The last severe cyclone that hit the island was in December It came in from the north-east moving westward to India and left significant damage on the eastern coast. 75 thousand people had been affected by the storm which destroyed houses, livestock and infrastructure. 13 Another cyclone in November 2008, Nisha, affected the lives of over 200 thousand people in the northern tip of the country. 14 Drought Drought risk is highest in the north of the island. 15 More than 13% of the population is exposed to droughts and it affects millions of people. 16 The last large drought was in mid It depleted most of the 5 IDMC (2011). Sri Lanka. IDPs and returnees remain in need of protection and assistance. A profile of the Internal Displacement Situation. +January+2011.pdf viewed on IDMC (2011). Sri Lank. IDP News alert. IDPs wanting to return faced with difficulties. viewed on PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on Global Risk Data Platform (2011). Map. Sri Lanka. Hazard/Risk. viewed on WFP (2011). Seasonal and Hazards Calendar. WFP Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch. 10 PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on Global Risk Data Platform (2011). Map. Sri Lanka. Hazard/Risk. viewed on WFP (2011). Seasonal and Hazards Calendar. WFP Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch. 13 ReliefWeb (2000). Sri Lanka/India Tropical Cyclone OCHA Situation Report No viewed on ReliefWeb (2008). Tropical Cyclone Nisha. viewed on Global Risk Data Platform (2011). Map. Sri Lanka. Hazard/Risk. viewed on

5 groundwater and left rivers dry, which are sources of drinking. This had severe health implications related to waterborne diseases. Irrigation canals were drying up and cultivation reduced to 50% of the land. The effects were most severe in the south-east. 17 Landslides and mudslides In Sri Lanka landslides and mudslides are triggered mostly by heavy rainfall. These mass movements occur mostly in hilly and mountainous areas. In Sri Lanka the risk is highest in the south-central regions. 18 Although few people are living in the areas at high risk for landslides, the vulnerability of these people is high and they can take the lives of dozens of people. Landslides do not occur very often but they are experienced as much more threatening. 19 Earthquakes and Tsunamis Earthquakes generally do not occur on the island. However, to the east lies Indonesia on the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes happen often. These earthquakes expose Sri Lanka to tsunamis. Tsunami exposure is highest on the coastal areas especially in the south-east. 20 The tsunami of 2004 triggered of the coast of Sumatra caused a tsunami wave which affected more than 1 million people and killed over 35 thousand. 21 This tsunami affected all coastal regions of the island. Environmental hazards Sri Lanka also faces many environmental hazards. There is the issue of deforestation and soil erosion, which is mainly caused by the spread of tea plantations, mostly in the highlands. The wildlife populations are threatened by poaching and urbanisation. Industrialisation and urbanisation pollutes the freshwater resources by industrial waste, sewage runoff also pollutes the waters. There is increase waste pollution and air pollution in Colombo. Mining also poses an environmental hazard in the form of coastal degradation. 22 Epidemics Epidemics seem to be a recurring problem in Sri Lanka. In 2009 a Dengue outbreak killed 346 people, making it the mostly deadly hazard besides the devastating earthquake in The major diseases in Sri Lanka are bacterial diarrhoea, hepatitis A, dengue fever, chikunganya and leptospirosis. Vulnerability Indicators 24 Human Development Index (out of 187) 97 Adult literacy rate (% aged >15) 90.6 GDP per capita (USD) 4333 Mean years of schooling (of adults) 8.2 Gini Coefficient 40.3 Gender inequality index Living below 1,25 (USD) a day (% pop) 7 Global hunger index (>20 alarming) Life expectancy at birth (years) 74.9 Corruption perceptions index (10 = clean) Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births) PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on ReliefWeb (2002). Sri Lanka: Drought appeal No. 18/2002 operations update no viewed on Global Risk Data Platform (2011). Map. Sri Lanka. Hazard/Risk. viewed on PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on Global Risk Data Platform (2011). Map. Sri Lanka. Hazard/Risk. viewed on PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on CIA Factbook (2011). Sri Lanka. viewed on PreventionWeb (2011). Sri Lanka. Risk Profile. viewed on UNDP (2011) Sri Lanka viewed on IFPRI (2011). Global Hunger Index viewed on Transparency International (2010). Corruption Perceptions Index viewed on

6 Population density is highest in the south west of the country, fanning out from Colombo. Other highly populated areas are the northern areas of the Northern Province and the coastal areas of central Eastern Province. Obviously, people living in coastal areas are more at risk for tsunamis, especially in the east and south west. The Northern Province is still and area where there are un leared mines and many IDPs. IDPs are a group especially at risk, their housing is poor. 27 A minority in Sri Lanka are the Tamils. They are heavily discriminated. This group is vulnerable to natural hazards because they are excluded from protection, social services and other basic rights. Capacity Government In May 2005 the Government of Sri Lanka enacted the Disaster Management Act to provide a legal basis for disaster risk management in the country. The act established a National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM) which provides direction to disaster risk management, and a Disaster Management Centre (DMC) to implement functions. The DMC is structures at the national level that organises the risk assessment, mitigation, early warning, preparedness planning, training and emergency response. There connected to local District Emergency Operation Centres and Disaster Management Assistants. 28 Yet, technically the NCDM only exists on paper, in fact the DMC fall under the governing body of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights. 29 The government is fully committed towards disaster risk management yet the institution of disaster risk management is still young which still leads to bureaucratic inefficiency and confusion. Some departments are understaffed and lack technological knowledge and experience. It seems that at district level disaster risk management system is much more pragmatic and works more fluently. 30 Civil Society The NGO sector related to DRM is considered generally weak as is the relationship with the government. Disaster management by NGOs is uncoordinated with the government, yet their involvement is high. 31 International Coordination OCHA s main field is in Killinochchi to ensure coverage of the remaining humanitarian issues, such as support for returnees. The Mannar and Jaffna sub-offices will scale back as activities shift to earlyrecovery planning. Sufficient capacity will be maintained in Colombo to ensure government liaison and standby capacity for disaster preparedness and response. OCHA is working with the Ministry of Disaster Management to ensure rapid response to sudden emergencies. Training is planned for government staff and partners with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team and the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group. Support will be provided through regular programme arrangements and in response to ad hoc requests as disasters strike Wikipedia (2011). Sri Lankan IDP camps. viewed on Disaster Management Centre (2011). About DMC. viewed on USAid (2007) Review of Policies and Institutional Capacity for Early Warning and Disaster Management in Sri Lanka. viewed on USAid (2007) Review of Policies and Institutional Capacity for Early Warning and Disaster Management in Sri Lanka. viewed on USAid (2007) Review of Policies and Institutional Capacity for Early Warning and Disaster Management in Sri Lanka. viewed on OCHA (2011). Where we work. Sri Lanka. viewed on

7 In 2008 a cluster approach was introduced in Sri Lanka: Cluster 33 Lead Agency Health WHO Nutrition UNICEF Education UNICEF/Save the Children in Sri Lanka Water, Sanitation & Hygiene UNICEF Food WFP Agriculture including Food Security FAO Economic Recovery & Infrastructure Early Recovery UNDP Logistics WFP Shelter & Non Food Items UNHCR Protection/Human Rights/Rule of Law UNHCR Mine Action UNDP Coordination UNOCHA Security UNDSS The government is eager to control NGOs. There is now an anti-ngo climate strengthened by strict visa policies. Synthesis Sri Lanka has just come out of civil war and is still dealing with the aftermath, furthermore it faces several hazards. The following points illustrate the main risks in this country based on hazards, vulnerability (as population exposed) and history. - As IDPs are returning home the biggest current threat are the many mines scattered across the north and east of the country. Especially children are exposed here, although threat is getting less dozens of people are still killed every year. - Drought is the hazard most people are exposed to, about 13%, which equals more than 2,5 million people. Risk is highest in the north. Last events affected around a million people with food and water shortages. - Floods are common and usually controlled. However, heavy rains may induce large floods that can affect up to 700 thousand people and kill hundreds. - A possible scenario is a tsunami triggered by an earthquake nearby, such as near Indonesia. In 2004 it affected over a million people and killed over 35 thousand. Resources & Contacts Disaster Management Centre Sabina Adzei, PO CT Cordaid HQ: Sabina.Adzei@cordaid.nl 33 OneResponse (n.d.). Cluster Approach in SriLanka. viewed on

Sri Lanka. Persons of concern

Sri Lanka. Persons of concern As leader of the protection and shelter sectors including non-food items (NFIs) and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) in Sri Lanka, UNHCR coordinated emergency humanitarian responses and advocacy