Author(s): Janaka Wijetunge
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Integrated coastal zone management; Coastal natural hazards; Tsunami inundation
Abstract: On December 26, 2004, the great Indian Ocean tsunami forced the waterline at the shore in about two-third of Sri Lanka to move several hundred metres inland causing death as well as damage to property at a scale the country has never seen before. The enormity of the tragedy clearly underscores the need to incorporate the protection against natural hazards into the existing integrated coastal zone management strategy of Sri Lanka whilst formulating a broad framework of policy decisions with regard to the post-tsunami coastal land use. The present paper outlines the essential elements of such a management strategy for Sri Lanka’s coastal zone. Another pertinent point in connection with this, is the need to prepare inundation maps for the coastal belt of Sri Lanka to enable, among other things, the identification low-hazard and high-hazard site areas for post-tsunami coastal land use planning. Accordingly, the results of a field survey carried out to map the extent of tsunami inundation in the affected parts of the coastline are also presented.
Year: 2005