Sri Lanka’s lead agency for disaster management continues to face crippling staff shortages, according to an analysis of documents spanning 2011 to 2023.
As of the end of 2023, only 269 employees of the Disaster Management Centre’s (DMC) approved cadre of 447 were in service, leaving 178 vacancies—or 40 per cent of the approved positions—unfilled, according to the latest report from the National Audit Office.
No Development Officers
The DMC’s most recent Annual Performance Report (APR), presented to Parliament this year, states that 169 positions out of the approved cadre of 447 remained vacant at the end of 2023. This represents 38 per cent of positions unfilled, reflecting a two-percentage-point increase in vacancies compared to the previous year.
The majority of these vacancies—101 positions—are for development officers, critical personnel whose telephone numbers are stored in the DMC’s call centre database alongside those of grama niladharis and relief service officers for disaster communication and information dissemination. These positions have remained unfilled for many years.
The 2023 APR notes that the inability to fill these vacancies “is currently a great obstacle and a challenge to perform the responsibility and duties efficiently and effectively.” Many of these roles require specialized technical skills, including risk reduction, training, emergency response, and research.
The report also highlights the urgent need for staff capable of handling Tamil-language communications in the DMC’s 24×7 emergency operation room and the 117 call centre. While operations are intended to be trilingual—English, Sinhala, and Tamil—the lack of Tamil-language support raised significant concerns before and after Cyclone Ditwah. Similar concerns were noted in the 2022 APR, and as far back as 2017, when it was observed that “only a limited number of employees are there who can use the Tamil language, and therefore there are difficulties in providing service to the Tamil-speaking persons, and it also affects the State language policy.”
Data Collection Impacted
Staff shortages have also affected the DMC’s disaster database, www.desinventar.lk, which contains information on past disasters, including deaths, affected populations, and damaged property in each district. The system was meant to be updated every 15 days using police reports and field data.
The APR states: “This data system has been actively updated up to 31.09.2023, but due to the lack of necessary staff for the same, it has not been possible to update.”
Similarly, a national-level “school disaster risk assessment” was flagged as an urgent need. While preliminary discussions were held with the Education Ministry and information was collected in 2023, future work to prepare the risk index has been stalled due to staff shortages and insufficient provisions.
The DMC informed the NAO that vacancies arose following the suspension of public sector recruitments in August 2021. Nevertheless, all APRs from 2011 to 2023 have consistently cited staffing deficiencies as a barrier to the agency’s effective functioning.
Long-standing Issues
The latest APR also highlights that the DMC lacks financial provisions for simulation exercises aimed at preparing communities and stakeholders for disaster situations, particularly at the district level. These exercises are crucial for stress-testing emergency plans, response mechanisms, and equipment.
Additionally, the agency lacks an emergency fund to support search-and-rescue teams. The 2019 APR emphasized that cash-in-hand is essential for tasks such as transporting rescue groups, covering fuel costs, or purchasing spare parts. “However, this facility is not available at present,” the report notes.
Other urgent needs include upgrading the 117 call centre, acquiring equipment for communication networks, and ensuring local authorities actively coordinate with district-level disaster management units. The report also points out a “lack of proper allocation of resources at the district level for efficient implementation of emergency response systems.”
Will History Repeat?
The 2021 APR revealed that the agency struggled to resettle disaster victims due to a lack of alternative lands in high-risk areas such as Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Matale, Kandy, and Kurunegala—regions severely affected by Cyclone Ditwah, with hundreds of landslides reported.
Further challenges included the inability to acquire identified lands, failure to update approved land allocation limits, and inadequate legal frameworks for evicting families before permanent housing could be provided. The report notes: “Large amounts of money utilized to provide relief in disaster situations could be saved by providing immediate resettlement after proper and systematic removal of houses that are facing risks. Flats or apartments are more suitable for resettlement in highly populated areas such as Colombo.”
The APR also recommends acquiring lands closer to estates in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla for housing construction, and offering flats or apartments to families who initially reject resettlement due to various concerns.
Good on Paper
The 2021 APR records that a parliamentary committee meeting chaired by then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed actions regarding floods and landslides in November 2021. Thirteen ministers, eight state ministers, 21 parliamentarians, secretaries of several ministries, and 22 department representatives attended. Decisions included accelerating land acquisition with plantation company owners and establishing a consolidated mechanism with relevant agencies to prevent floods.
Regarding areas like Getambe and Gannoruwa in Kandy, the committee recommended removing sand islands near the Mahaweli River to reduce future disaster risks, subject to approval from the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau.
Whither Implementation?
An analysis of 13 APRs shows that while recommendations are consistently made, implementation remains limited. For instance, the 2020 APR recommended integrating disaster risk mitigation into mainstream development, recognizing disaster management as an essential service, establishing a multi-hazard warning system, and repairing and upgrading the existing communication network.
The report also noted the “lack of active involvement” of local authorities, absence of emergency financial provisions, failure to establish district-level search-and-rescue teams, and lack of emergency funds for rapid response.
Collecting quality data for district risk profiles remains slow due to practical challenges, and public protests sometimes prevent the implementation of district-level mitigation programs. The DMC’s communication system is also insufficient: the 2018 APR stated that it “cannot cover all the people that can be affected by a disaster.”
Conclusion
DMC continues to operate with minimum human and physical resources at both national and district levels, creating challenges in planning, implementation, and monitoring of disaster management initiatives. Despite long-standing recommendations and repeated identification of risks, chronic staff shortages, inadequate funding, and operational inefficiencies remain major obstacles to effective disaster preparedness and response in Sri Lanka.
