TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Evaluation of gaps in early warning mechanisms and evacuation procedures for coastal communities in Sri Lanka
JO  - International journal of disaster resilience in the built environment
A1  - Perera, Chamal
A1  - Jayasooriya, Darshana
A1  - Jayasiri, Gimhan
A1  - Randil, Chameera
A1  - Bandara, Chaminda
A1  - Siriwardana, Chandana
A1  - Dissanayake, Ranjith
A1  - Hippola, Sameera
A1  - Sylva, Kamani
A1  - Kamalrathne, Thushara
A1  - Kulatunga, Asela
SP  - 415
EP  - 433
VL  - 11
IS  - 3
N2  - PURPOSE Even though Sri Lanka has established Early Warning (EW) mechanisms and Evacuation Procedures (EP) for the communities affected by the coastal disasters, there are several gaps, which hinder effective mechanisms in operation of disaster management practices. These gaps affect both the vulnerable communities and relevant authorities involved in the Disaster Management sector. This paper aims to identify and evaluate those gaps while providing adequate solutions. <br><br>DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH For that, questionnaire surveys were carried out with a sample size of 217 via an online survey (117) among the urban level and interviews and telephone interviews (100) with the village level coastal communities. Data analysis was carried out using statistical analysis of questionnaire surveys and grounded theory was used for in-depth qualitative study. <br><br>FINDINGS Primary and secondary data obtained from the surveys were categorized under five themes, namely, response to early warning systems, evacuation routes, shelters, drills and training, effect of having a family vehicle, relatives and domestic animals, evacuation of people with special needs and cooperation with local government units. This paper analyses these themes in detail. <br><br>ORIGINALITY/VALUE While critically evaluating the gaps in existing early warning mechanisms and evacuation procedures, this paper identifies correlations between some of the gaps and recommendations as well. Input from the international academics were also obtained at different forums and have strengthen the findings to overcome the barriers, which hinder successful mechanisms.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1759-5908
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-07-2019-0048
ID  - ref1
ER  -