Evaluation of existing vulnerabilities and disaster risk reduction practices of infrastructure reconstruction projects

Palliyaguru, RS; Amaratunga, RDG; Haigh, RP

Abstract

Communities and built environment have been exposed to various threats since a long ago with
diverse effects and resultant losses. Thus it is not only people, but also built-environment
structures are vulnerable to disasters. In this context, disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become
one of the important solutions to mitigate and to prevent disaster risks and for speedy recovery
after disasters. The best way of doing this is through ‘vulnerability reduction’ and thus disaster
risk reduction should be aimed at vulnerability reduction. However, there is a need to identify the
most advantageous disaster risk reduction strategies which can of course result in vulnerability
reduction. As a part of this main aim, this paper seeks to explore the presence of various
vulnerabilities within infrastructure reconstruction projects and to evaluate the disaster risk
reduction practices within these projects with particular emphasis on their importance and level of
implementation. This study adopts the case study research strategy and this paper is entirely based
on data collated from semi-structured interviews and questionnaires within one case study
conducted within a water supply and sanitation reconstruction project in Sri Lanka. The results
show that while water supply facility is found to be somewhat economically, technologically,
politically, developmentally and physically vulnerable, it bears cultural and social vulnerabilities
to a very little extent. Further, in terms of the communities benefited from the water project, the
highest level of vulnerability was found within physical vulnerabilities. Further, the technological,
political and social vulnerabilities are also respectively presence within the communities. Other
than that cultural and economic vulnerabilities are found to be somewhat presence. In terms of the
DRR practices within the case study project, the physical/technical strategies were identified as
the most important group of DRR strategies while emergency preparedness strategies also very
important. Although emergency preparedness strategies are considered very important, none of
them are satisfactorily implemented to the extent they important to the project while most of the
physical/technical strategies are adequately implemented.

Citation

Palliyaguru, R., Amaratunga, R., & Haigh, R. Evaluation of existing vulnerabilities and disaster risk reduction practices of infrastructure reconstruction projects. Presented at International research conference on sustainability in built environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: International research conference on sustainability in built environment
• Conference Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
• End Date: Jun 19, 2010
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Sep 15, 2010
• Keywords: DRR, infrastructure and community vulnerability, infrastructure reconstruction
• Publisher URL: http://www.becon.mrt.ac.lk/caslebemru/Conference_Pro.pdf
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference