Taking stock of the tsunami recovery process in Sri Lanka: 2004-2014

This brief documents some of the positive as well as the negative experiences in Sri Lanka recovery process during the then years following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. It presents a summary of the main factors influencing recovery outcomes in Sri Lanka, including: i) the nature and extent of settlement planning; ii) the role of local institutions including local government; iii) socio-economic characteristics of victims; iv) the role of donor agencies; v) distance between the original and new settlements; vi) quality of construction; vii) the nature and extent of social infrastructure; and viii) beneficiary participation and community mobilisation. These experiences are useful not just for Sri Lanka but also for other countries that are likely to face similar disasters in the future. They can also inform Sri Lanka’s action plans to address the targets and priorities set out in the recently agreed Sendai Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.