5 March 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government representatives from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, professionals working in the construction sector, members of Professional Institutes and Non Governmental Organisations met recently at a workshop in Colombo to discuss the localisation of the "Tools for the Assessment of School and Hospital Safety for Multi-Hazards in South Asia". The workshop was organised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) during 4th – 5th March 2013.
The two day workshop commenced with an introduction to the project "Tools for the Assessment of School and Hospital Safety for Multi-Hazards in South Asia" by UN-Habitat and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Mr. Laxman Perera, Country Programme Manager for UN-Habitat Sri Lanka, Ms Mariko Sato, Chief, UN-Habitat Bangkok Office, Ms Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu, Regional Programme Officer, UNISDR, provided introductions to the initiative and toolkit. The Chief Guest at the event, Mrs. S. M. Mohomad, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management of Sri Lanka, highlighted the need for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in new developments, and appreciated the timely focus on safety in schools and hospitals.
The technical sessions of the workshop provided participants with in depth knowledge of the toolkit and an opportunity to provide feedback on localisation. The toolkit is presented in two volumes in order to capture the different considerations for newly designed buildings and for buildings that require retro maintenance. Participants were provided training on how to use the toolkit which consists of a spreadsheet with pre-approved questions and considerations which are divided into Planning, Architectural, Structural and Non-structural themes that can be filled for different hazards. The spreadsheet then automatically calculates the multi-hazard risk level.
Workshop participants analysed the toolkit and identified elements that were appropriate to the Sri Lankan and Maldivian context as well as hazards that were not currently integrated in the toolkit but are critical to each country. Participants identified landslides as a necessary inclusion for Sri Lanka and sea level rise for the Maldives. They also discussed how the toolkit could assist their work and how it could be incorporated in government processes to ensure schools and hospitals, both new constructions and existing buildings, are multi-hazard safety compliant.
The project Tools for the Assessment of School and Hospital Safety for Multi-Hazards in South Asia is a joint initiative by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in partnership with the South Asian Association for Cooperation (SAARC).
- UN-Habitat Completes 12,500 Houses under Government of India's Grant Assistance
- Self-lighting Solar Lamp for Thiruvaiyaru Community Centre in Kilinochchi District (PDF 252KB)
- Introducing environmentally friendly construction techniques for post-conflict housing and community infrastructure (PDF 382KB)
- Empowering Women to Rebuild Homes in the Conflict Affected Northern Province (PDF 634KB)
- UN-Habitat Helps Families to Construct Environmentally-Friendly Houses in the North of Sri Lanka (PDF 609KB)
- Empowering Female Headed Homeowners to Reconstruct their Damaged Homes (PDF 789KB)
- Building Blocks for a Brighter Tomorrow (PDF 395KB)
- A New Beginning for Returnee Families in the North of Sri Lanka (PDF 424KB)
- Workshop on Incremental Housing (PDF 152KB)
- Government of Australia Supports Mannar Urban Council to Mitigate the Risk of Sea Water Intrusion in a Vulnerable Coastal Village (PDF 286KB)
- A Permanent Home for a Young Family in Killinochchi District (PDF 555KB)
- European Union Delegation Visits UN-Habitat Housing Beneficiaries in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. (PDF 205KB)
- UN-Habitat Provides Training on Innovative Construction Techniques for Artisans and CBO Members from Mannar District (PDF 167KB)
- UN-Habitat Implements Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives in Mannar Town in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province (PDF 393KB)
- Training on Geographic Information Systems for Disaster Resilient Urban Planning for Local Authority Officers and Urban Planners (PDF 248KB)
- Disaster Risk Reduction through River Rehabilitation in the Heart of Flood-Prone Balangoda Town (PDF 287KB)
- Case Study: Improving Accessibility through Rehabilitating Internal Roads in the North (PDF 677KB)
- Case Study: Helping Communities Rebuild in Post-Conflict Killinochchi District (PDF 713KB)
- Case Study: Building Hope for the Future: Rebuilding Preschools in Sri Lanka’s Conflict Affected Northern Province (PDF 695KB)
- Rebuilding Homes in Conflict Affected Mullaitivu District (PDF 500KB)
- International Conference on Post Emergency Shelter Reconstruction held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Video Documentary: Indian Housing Project: Rebuilding Homes in the North and East of Sri Lanka
- Reconstructing Conflict Damaged Homes in the East of Sri Lanka (PDF 228KB)
- The Government of Australia Supports Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives in Kalmunai Town, in Partnership with UN-Habitat (PDF 410KB)
- Training Programme on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into Urban Planning and Development for Planning Officials in the North and East of Sri Lanka
- Reviving His Livelihood in a New Home (PDF 299KB)
- Empowering Female Home Owners to Repair Damaged Homes in the North (PDF 262KB)
- Helping Returnee Families in the North with Sanitation Facilities
- Case Study: Empowering Female Home Owners to Reconstruct Houses in Northern Sri Lanka (PDF 225KB)
- A New Beginning for a Young Family (PDF 266KB)
- Case Study: Rebuilding His Own Home: Sivakanthan of Mullaitivu District (PDF 295KB)
- Flood Risk Reduction Pilot Project Completed in Kalmunai Town with Australian Funding
- Eco-friendly home construction for returnees in Northern Sri Lanka
- European Union Launches Housing Project for Returnee Families in Batticaloa District
- Case Study: Stories from the Field: Vallipuram Elumalaipillai, Malayalapuram, Killinochchi District, Northern Sri Lanka (PDF 295KB)
- Toolkit on School and Hospital Building Safety in South Asia
- Case Study: From Temporary Hut to Permanent Home (PDF 160KB)
- Case Study: Stories from the Field: Nalathamby Kanahasooriyan, Hijrapuram, Mullaitivu district, Northern Sri Lanka (PDF 262KB)
- World Habitat Day 2012
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka: Case Study 1 (PDF 233KB)
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka: Case Study 2 (PDF 332KB)
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka: Case Study 3 (PDF 238KB)
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka: Case Study 4 (PDF 233KB)
- Reconstruction of Three Thousand War Damaged Houses Under Way in Northern Sri Lanka with Funding from the European Union, the Australian Government, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation
- Nordic funding to Enhance Resilience to Climate Change in Coastal Sri Lankan Cities
- A National Climate Change Policy for Sri Lanka