Evolution of post-disaster reconstruction policy framework in Sri Lanka: A longitudinal case study

Abstract

Due to the increased intensity of disasters, in the last decade, Sri Lanka has given special attention to Post-Disaster Reconstruction (PDR) policies. With the intention of achieving increased outcomes in production, the government of Sri Lanka revised these policy frameworks periodically, taking into account different social, economic, and cultural aspects, as well as other implementation issues. However, investigations on the transformation of these PDR policies within the last 15 years and their impact on the PDR project success is yet to be exposed by providing insights to future policymakers. The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a longitudinal case study in exploring PDR policy progress in Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2021. The findings disclosed that the policy changes related to ownership, beneficiary selection and reconstruction have many positive consequences while resettlement and disaster-resilient policies need to be more developed in terms of community considerations. Therefore, it can be expressed that the policy evolution in Sri Lanka is more towards a positive direction while some features still need to be improved in future for more successful outcomes.