Sri Lanka. D.M.Rupasinghe Senior Economist Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

1. Concluding Regional Workshop on Methodologies to Assess Socio-economic Impacts of Natural Disasters19-21 October 2005, Bangkok. Sri Lanka. D.M.Rupasinghe Senior Economist Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

2. 1. The country and the economy. • Land area of 65,610 sq. km. • Population of 19.5 million in 2004. • The population density is about 310 persons per square kilometer by end of 2004.

3. Key social indicators • Literacy rate : 93 per cent • Life expectancy: 73 years • net primary enrolment :97 per cent • Infant mortality: 11.2 per 1,000 live births-2003 • Maternal mortality 0.1 per 1,000 live births

4. HDI ranks 96th place among 177 countries • Per capita income: US dollars 1,031 in 2004. • Average economic growth: around 5 per cent since 1977.

5. Economic Growth • First half of 2005: 5.1 per cent • Expected growth in 2005: 5.3 per cent. • First quarter 2005: 4.4 per cent • Second quarter 2005 6 per cent

7. 2. Introduction.

9. The tsunami on 26 December 2004. • The death toll was over 38,000 persons, second highest after Indonesia. • 21,441 people injured • Over 5000 are reported missing • Nearly one million have been displaced.

10. In terms of total value of damage • The third most affected country (US dollars 1,454 million).

11. In term of GDP Second highest damage (7.6 per cent).

12. Required financial assistance • The total cost of required relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction is estimated to be around US dollars 2 billion for a period of 3-5 years.

14. 3. Developments related to assessment of socio-economic impacts of disaster. • 26 December 2004 tsunami caused widespread concern about • assessment of damage and loss • methodology for assessment

15. Sri Lanka did not process the complete methodology • Centralised disaster assessment system

16. Different institutions • At different level • Mainly for relief and rehabilitation purposes carried out the assessment.

17. Central Bank of Sri Lanka • Socio-economic impacts assessment

18. The Primary Objectives • To asses economic impacts • To quantify the losses, • To quantify the rehabilitation and reconstruction cost, • To provides details to donor agencies.

19. Detailed Analyses. • Cover four core areas of the economy • Real sector, • agriculture, • industry • trade • infrastructure, • External sector, • Fiscal sector • Monetary sector.

20. Special Attention • Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) • Investment, • Balance of Payments, • Public Finance, • Prices • Unemployment.

21. Not considered • Indirect losses impossible to quantify • Environmental effects, • Impacts on women and children, • Impacts on well being and quality of life • Certain opportunity cost;

22. Indirect losses possible to quantify • High operational cost due to destruction of physical infrastructure and inventories • Diminished production or services due to total or partial paralysis of activities • Additional cost on alternative means of production. • Cost of budgetary reassignment • Income reduction due to non-availability of public utilities • Additional cost on dealing with the new situation • Loss of production due to linkage effects.

23. 4. Policies and Strategies to cope with Disasters • Institutional set up • Rules and Regulations • Other Measures.

24. Several committees to draft an Act and a National Plan since 1992. • National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) was established in 1996

25. National Disaster Management Bill and National Plan for disaster management prepared by NDMC was passed by the Parliament in March 2005,

26. The Disaster Management Act provides to set up; • National Disaster Management Council • National Disaster Management Centre • Technical Advisory Committees and • Preparation of disaster management plans, the declaration of a state of disaster, the award of compensation and for other matters committed to the disaster.

27. National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) • The President • The Prime Minister • The Ministers in charge of Social Welfare, Defence, Finance, Health, Land and Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Housing, Water Resources, Science and Technology, Highways and Fisheries are the other members. • Chief Ministers of the Provincial Councils • Five members of Parliament appointed by the Speaker in consultation with party leaders.

28. National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) functions • Preparation and implementation of national disaster management plan. • Monitor the implementation of sub-disaster management plans. • Preparation of a national emergency operation plan. • Planning and implement preparedness, mitigation, prevention, response and recovery activities on disaster management. • Establishment of data bank for accumulation and dissemination of information. • Enhancement of international co-operation.

29. Centre for National Operation (CNO) • To co-ordinate the rescue and relief operations in a cohesive and an efficient manner. • To ensure that relief measures were directed to the affected people by identifying their needs and matching them with the available resources.

30. TAFREN, (Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation) • To co-ordinate and assist government agencies and institutions in their efforts to reconstruct and rehabilitate tsunami affected regions. • TAFREN will be legally empowered by Parliament Act for a period of 3 to 5 years during which period it focuses on ensuring accelerated economic growth within the affected region through the successful completion of the rebuilding process.

31. Rules • 100-meter buffer zone rule around the coastal areas. • Others • Insurance policies to cover hydro meteorological disasters.

32. 5. Priority Areas of Regional Co-operations in Disaster Risk Management • Early warning system • Effective disaster management and control system • Priority areas of disaster reduction • Capacity improvement in weather forecasting

33. Thanks You