International Conferences

Lead and their Organisation

I have been leading key international academic conferences in my field of expertise, in addition to presentations at conferences also feature panel discussions, round tables on various issues and workshops. As a conference chair, I always work closely with the Technical Program Committee Chair on strategic issues for the design of the technical program including amending scope and setting research topics, soliciting special sessions, identifying keynote speakers, deciding on workshops, tutorials, panels, demos, posters, industry track and exhibits, ensuring a rich overall conference program and well-attended event. I also prepare the post-conference reports including a summary of the highlights of the conference (both scientific and social aspects), and policy impact. To me, well-run conferences are fun, memorable, streamlined, and purposeful.

  1. Conference co-chair. Tsunami Science Conference, to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the 2004 Indian Tsunami, 18th December 2024. Organised by The National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. The University of Western Australia. The University of Huddersfield, UK
  2. Conference partner, 10th International Conference on Building Resilience on Addressing Cascading and Compound Risks of Climate Change, Humanitarian Crises, and Disasters, 13-15 February 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Organised by Adaptation, Resilience, Security, and Humanitarian Assistance (CARSHA) and Department of Architecture School of Architecture and Design, BRAC University, Bangladesh with the input from several UN agencies and NGOs.
  3. Member of the Steering Committee, 2nd UNESCO IOC Global Tsunami Symposium: “A Reflection of The Two Decades Post 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Way Forward”, Monday 11- Thursday 14 November 2024 in BANDA ACEH, INDONESIA. Hosts: Government of Indonesia – BMKG; UNESCO IOC – Tsunami Resilient; IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics)
  4. Conference Co-chair. UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR) Annual Conference 2023. UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR) Annual Conference 2023: 2030 and beyond: Risk-informed decision making, investment, and behaviour, to be held from 18-19 December 2023. Organised by: Global Disaster Resilience Centre, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK. Special features: Posters and abstracts presentations, Keynote speeches, Panel discussions on selected topics, Early career development pathways, UKADR Annual General Meeting, Networking session and drinks reception. https://ukadr2023.buildresilience.org
  5. Conference co-chair, Colombo International Conference on University-Industry Collaborations for Sustainable Development (ICSD) 2024.16 to 17 March 2024, BMICH, Colombo.
  6. Conference partner, together with Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), United Kingdom; United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), United Kingdom; Institute of Disaster Management and Reconstruction (IDMR), China; Keio University, Japan; South Asia Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (SAADRI); Stockholm Environment Institute, Thailand; Action Nepal, Nepal; Kathmandu University School of Education, Nepal; Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN), Malaysia; Resilience Innovation Knowledge Academy (RIKA), India; Universitas Andalas, Indonesia; Science for Sustainability, India; Planning and Development Research Foundation (PLANADES) Inc., Philippines; National Energy Technology Center (ENTEC), Thailand.; Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Thailand; Global Water and Sanitation Center (GWSC), Thailand; Climate Action Resource Network – Asia Pacific (CARN-AP); and Living Delta, 3rd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development” (DRSD 2023), Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand , 7th – 8th December 2023.
  7. Conference Partner, International Conference in Tropical Agro-Ecosystems (BRITAE), 15th – 16th March 2023, Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka. BRITAE 2023 aimed to provide a platform for renowned intellectuals and emerging scholars to exchange their experience and research on all aspects of resilience in tropical agro ecosystems. Its themes included: Agro-Ecosystems and Biodiversity Conservation; Ecosystem Management and Socio-Ecological Resilience; Green Infrastructure and Urban Resilience; Indigenous Knowledge, Precision Agriculture and Agricultural Productivity; Global Food Safety and Security; Disasters and Agricultural Vulnerability; Life Cycle Assessment and Circular Economy; Agricultural Policies, Concepts and Strategies.
  8. COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience: From Adversity to Serendipity. A strategic partner of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (NSF) conducted 2-day national inter disciplinary conference titled “COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience” under the theme “From Adversity to Serendipity” from 27th – 28th January, 2021.
  9. Conference Co-chair, International Symposium on Tacking Climate Change as an Underlying Disaster Risk Driver, 27th – 28th June 2023, University of Huddersfield, UK. This international symposium was organised as part of the Research Training Network on Tackling Climate Change as an Underlying Disaster Risk Driver (CCA-DRR). CCA-DRR is a European Commission funded Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) project which supports student and staff mobility to and from countries outside Europe. Accordingly, this research training programme and Symposium was designed as a research capacity-building and awareness programme targeting the climate change and disaster management researchers in 8 higher education institutions in Sri Lanka. The Symposium programme was designed with the expectation of developing a roadmap that reviews the current state of CAA and DRR and sets out the work required and major challenges and opportunities to advance the dialogue between the CAA and DRR communities.
  10. Conference partner, International Research Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in the Coastal Built Environment, to be held at IHCantabria, Santander, Spain, 19 and 20 June 2023. During the symposium, there were: (i) keynote presentations by national and international experts (ii) presentation sessions by managers, scientists, and practitioners, and (iii) A panel discussion on the “Challenges in the Implementation of Local Climate Change Adaptation Measures”, from the perspective of Spain, integrating lessons learned and good practices at a national and international level. The symposium was framed under the BEACON (Built Environment learning for Climate Adaptation) project, which aimed to develop trans-disciplinary and innovative research-based learning in the built environment to tackle climate change in coastal regions. The partners of the BEACON project included University of Huddersfield, UK; Lund University, Sweden; University of Cantabria, Spain; University of Malta, Malta; University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; and University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
  1. Conference organising partner, National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Sri Lanka: Science, Policy and Practice. General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka, welcomed delegates to their first ever National Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Sri Lanka: Science, Policy and Practice. It came to fruition, an event that brought together actors from across policy, practice and science. It provided an important opportunity to reflect upon their progress to date in tackling disaster risk, but also to consider some of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of them. Its features included: Captured state of the art developments and recommendations; Oral and poster presentations; Capacity building in Sri Lanka Disaster Risk Management sector; Expert Panel Discussion on Disaster risk reduction education, research and policy in Sri Lanka. Organised by: Centre for Disaster Management Research (CDMR-KDU), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. Dates: 25th July 2023, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka. URL: https://kdu.ac.lk/cdmr/.
  2. Conference partner together with Ministry of Health, World Bank, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO), and Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). The Sri Lanka Medical Association 136th Anniversary International Medical Congress: ‘Humane Healthcare: Excellence, Equity, Community’, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Medical Association is a professional medical body in Sri Lanka which continuously takes a pioneering role in the development of the medical profession. The theme of the 136th Anniversary International Medical Congress “Towards humane healthcare: Excellence, Equity, Community” focused on a crucial element of the medical profession “Humaneness”. The concepts of excellence, equity and community involvement are direct factors which lead to and enhance this humane quality that we as medical professionals must strive to instil within us throughout our medical career and encourage all to pursue. Organised by: The Sri Lanka Medical Association. Dates: 25th July – 28th July 2023.
  3. Scientific Advisory Committee, Resilience and Sustainability Summit: Vision 2047. Science-Policy-Planning-Implementation Interface for DRR in Changing Climate, Focusing on Good Practices and Case Studies on Disaster Risk Reduction, 17th – 19th January 2023. Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, India. Organised by National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) India, and the Government of India. This was a multi-ministerial initiative, and the summit would be attended by high level National and International experts besides senior governmental officials. The outcome of the project will lead to the strategic long-term vision and roadmap looking at 100 years of India’s Independence i.e. Vision 2047.
  4. Conference partner. 13th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment (ICSBE) 2022, Kandy, Sri Lanka. ICSBE 2022’s vision was to drive innovative research for tomorrow’s development, to bring together experts, researchers and colleagues in the field of sustainable development, and to exchange workable concepts, innovative ideas in the line of sustainable built environment. Themes included: Sustainable construction; Urban green infrastructure & planning; Impacts of climate change; Climate risk management & mitigation; Sustainable infrastructure development & planning; Sustainable cities & villages. Organised by: University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; University of Melbourne, Australia; University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka; The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL); University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka; University of Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka and Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Days: 16th to 18th December 2022. URL: https://www.icsbe.org.
  5. Conference Co-chair, International Research and Innovation Symposium on Dengue amidst the pandemic: Improving preparedness and response for multi-hazard scenarios – 2022; 16-17 March 2022, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Main aim of this event has been to discuss and debate on impact of COVID-19 pandemic and other communicable diseases, such as dengue and malaria, and their role as part of overall multi hazard scenarios, integrating both natural biological hazards. This international event was organised by the Project consortium of the UKRI/EPSRC funded research collaboration: Improving COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness and response through the downstream of multi-hazard early warning systems, led by University of Huddersfield, UK; Ministry of Health Sri Lanka (National Dengue Control Unit, Anti Malaria Campaign, Disaster Preparedness & Response Division); and National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka.
  6. Organisation team co-lead with World Health Organisation, UNDRR European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) Plenary on COVID 19 and Systemic Risks in Europe, held from 24 – 26 November 21, in Matosinhos, Portugal. This plenary session focused on how the region can draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for increased understanding of how to mitigate the effects of systemic risk. The panellists analysed the challenges currently being faced and contribute to thinking that could shape the COVID-19 recovery. It also examined the current lessons learnt, best practices and strategies identified, innovations achieved, and knowledge and experience gained in combating the pandemic and potential systemic risks. The outcomes of the session contributed to rethinking how we govern systemic risks. EFDRR was organised by UNDRR, the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection, European Commission, and Council of Europe. EFDRR forms the regional platform structure of Europe. The triennial EFDRR has established itself as an important vehicle to address the regional disaster risk challenges. It serves as a forum for other stakeholders to take a shared responsibility and make actionable commitments to reduce disaster risk.
  7. Event partner, National event to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on Early warning and early action for all: Leave no one behind, Launched from Hotel Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The United Nations General Assembly has designated 13th October as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction. It was an opportunity given to member countries to acknowledge the progress being made towards reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, health and livelihoods in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2020. The 2022 edition of this international day focused on the objective of “substantially increasing the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030”, which is the seventh and final target of the Sendai Framework under the core theme of “Early warning and Early action for all”. This event provided a platform for leading local and foreign experts and academics in the sphere of disaster management and other associated key sectors to share their views and experiences, on the importance of designing multi hazard, end to end, early warning systems with people in mind and empowering them to act on time in an appropriate manner to reduce potential harm. Organised by: Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka. Days: 13th October 2022 (Hybrid event).
  8. Conference partner, The 12th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management 2021, Earl’s Regency Hotel, Kandy, Sri Lanka from 2nd – 5th December 2021.
  9. Core partner, National event to commemorate the INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION. COVID-19 and systemic risks. 13th October 2021. “ONLY TOGETHER…CAN WE SAVE THE PLANET”. The overall goal of the commemoration is to provide an advocacy platform to highlight best practice examples of international cooperation which have a positive impact on the lives of people who live in disaster prone parts of the world i.e. reducing the numbers of people affected by man-made and natural hazards. In commemorating the IDDRR 2021, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) as the focal point for disaster risk management in Sri Lanka, is organising a national commemoration programme in the form of a hybrid event. Theme of the event is which complements the IDDRR 2021 key objectives. It will focus on key areas that have been significantly impacted due to the pandemic from Sri Lanka’s point of view and with a special emphasis on the importance of having a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of risks, from a systemic perspective.
  10. Conference partner, “2nd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development”, 24 – 25 June 2021, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand (Online and In-person), [www.disaster-sustainability.org].
  1. COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience: From Adversity to Serendipity – Conference Co-chair and a strategic a strategic partner of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (NSF) conducted a 2-day national inter disciplinary conference titled “COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience” under the theme “From Adversity to Serendipity” held from January 27-28, 2021. It aimed at bringing all the key players of the relevant public and private sector institutions under one roof to deliberate and reflect on the above aspects of the pandemic to build a robust and resilient community and economy in Sri Lanka. Other strategic partners included: World Health Organisation; State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovations, Sri Lanka; Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka; Postgraduate Institute of Management, Sri Lanka; and Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka.
  2. Steering committee member, National Conference on “COVID 19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience”: “From Adversity to Serendipity”, January 27-28, 2021. National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka.
  3. International organising committee, The 11th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management 2021, Earl’s Regency Hotel, Kandy, Sri Lanka, December 2020.
  4. Conference co-chair, International Symposium on Tsunami and Multi Hazard Risks, Early Warning and Community Awarenessin supporting the implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 – To promote and support the availability and application of research, science and technology to Policy, Practice and decision-making in Disaster Risk Reduction, 16th to 18th December 2020, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  5. Conference organiser, 9th International Conference on Building Resilience, Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Building Resilient Cities, In association with The 3rd ITB Centennial International Conference on Disaster Management-P100 IC 03, 13 – 15 January 2020, Shangri-La Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (https://icbr09itb100.itb.ac.id).
  6. Partner, “International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development“, 7th – 8th March 2019, AIT, Thailand.
  7. International organisation committee member of the UN Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in May 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, for the organising teams for the following sessions:National and Local DRR strategies (Target E); and the role of green, blue and grey infrastructure in reducing disaster risk.
  8. Partner, International conference on Transforming knowledge into action: Towards sustainable development in emerging economies, 12th -14th December 2019, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
  9. Partner, ASCENT festival – International Conference on Capacity Building for Research & Innovation in Disaster Resilience, 14 – 18 January 2019, Colombo, Sri Lanka. International conference with 300+ participants representing academia, research, policy, practice and the third sector.
  10. Co-organiser of the 8th International Conference on Building Resilience, “Risk and Resilience in practice: Vulnerabilities, Displaced People, Local Communities and Heritages, held from November 14-16, 2018, in Lisbon, Portugal. There were 320 scientific papers with 340 registered delegates and ICBR 2018 was a largest academic conference held in 2018 in the disaster resilience and management discipline.
  1. CABARET conference on multi hazard early warning, University of Yangon, Myanmar, 22 – 28 September 2018. 57 academics from 9 universities attended the week-long event. Project Manager: Prof. Richard Haigh, COI: Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga.
  2. Conference Co-chair, CABARET International conference on Multi Hazard Early Warning, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, March 2018.
  3. Conference Co-chair, ASCENT international conference on Capacity for the development of societal resilience to disasters, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
  4. Coordinator, international research workshop on: Localising Strategies for Making Cities Resilient to Disasters, 22th January 2018 to 26th January 2018, Manila, Philippines. 58 scientists from the UK and the Philippines took part at the event. This was funded by the British Council Newton Researcher Links Programme
  5. Appointed by Royal Academy of Engineering as the Chair of RCUK GCRF funded Inclusive Prosperity and Wellbeing in the Context of Mass Displacement International Frontiers of Development Symposium held in Kigali, Rwanda. February 2018. The event was funded by the UKRI/GCRF
  6. Key partner of the International Disaster Management conference of the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association (IABI), and National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP) of Indonesia. to be held in Padang City, West Sumatera, Indonesia in May 2018.
  7. Member of the organising committee, Technical Session on Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance to manage Disaster Risk, The Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2018 (AMCDRR), jointly hosted by the Government of Mongolia and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), 03-06 July 2018, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
  8. Event Co-chair of the International research workshop on: Localising Strategies for Making Cities Resilient to Disasters, 22th January 2018 to 26th January 2018, Manila, The With 52 participants.
  9. Co-organiser of the 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2018 (AMCDRR), jointly hosted by the Government of Mongolia and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
  10. Conference Co-Chair. 7th International Conference on Building Resilience – Using scientific knowledge to inform policy and practice in disaster risk reduction and management, 27-29 November 2017, Bangkok, Thailand. 325+ experts participated at this international conference.
  1. Conference Co-chair, ASCENT international conference on Capacity for the development of societal resilience to disasters, Naresuan University, Thailand.
  2. Conference Co-chair, ASCENT international conference on Capacity for the development of societal resilience to disasters, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, February 2017.
  3. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 8th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management, December 2017, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
  4. Co-Leadof the International Scientific Advisory Committee. 7th International Conference on Building Resilience – Using scientific knowledge to inform policy and practice in disaster risk reduction and management, 27-29 November 2017, Bangkok, Thailand.
  5. Conference Co-chair, CABARET International conference on Multi Hazard Early Warning, Colombo, Sri Lanka, March 2017.
  6. Co-Lead of the International Scientific Advisory Committee. 7th International Conference on Building Resilience – Using scientific knowledge to inform policy and practice in disaster risk reduction and management 27-29 November 2017, Bangkok, Thailand.
  7. Partner, Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI). Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan. GADRI is a forum for sharing knowledge and promoting collaboration on topics related to disaster risk reduction and resilience to disasters. GADRI facilitates discussions on, Planning and organization of disaster risk research; Formation of international research groups to investigate current global disasters, and implement new research methodologies, and emphasizing trans-disciplinary approaches; Establishment of an international network for timely communication related to disaster research and collaborations with other networks; and Other issues relating to the promotion of disaster risk reduction, such as engaging with policy makers and practitioners. 2015 – to date.
  8. Organiser, Focal Point and the Moderator of the Session on DRR Governance at the local level, Local Government Summit Day at the Global platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 22 – 26 May 2017, Cancun, Mexico. This pre-event will consider the need to improve understanding of risk governance at the local level, including accountability and transparency, sharing of risk information, stakeholder participation and public awareness, encouraging action on stakeholder feedback, and sharing best practices.
  9. Conference Co-Chair, CADRE International Workshop Mainstreaming disaster resilience within the construction process: Local Government Perspectives, University of Huddersfield, UK, January 2017.
  10. Conference co-organiser, the 6th International Building Resilience Conference 2016 with the theme “Building Resilience to Address the Unexpected” is organised jointly by the Construction Management Groups at Massey University and the University of Auckland and Global Disaster Resilience Centre, University of Huddersfield, UK, Auckland, New Zealand 7-9th of September 2016.
  1. Co-organiser, Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR 2016 (AMCDRR), held from 02 – 05 November 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, India. This first Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction after the advent of the Sendai Framework was hosted by the Government of India in November 2016 under the theme “Risk Sensitive Development for Community Resilience” and was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with UNISDR and with the support from International and National Development Partners.
  2. Member of the International Scientific Committee, International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 2016.
  3. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 9th International FARU Conference on “Building the Future – sustainable and resilient built environments”, Faculty of Architecture: University of Moratuwa, Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 2016.
  4. Conference Co-chair, ASCENT international conference on Inter institutional capacity development, University of Huddersfield October 2016. Oct 2016.
  5. International conference committee, 12th International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR) with the theme: “Disaster mitigation and resilience enhancement”, 5th – 7th August 2016, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. The International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR)is a multi-university international consortium which provides overall leadership in research, education, planning, design and implementation for natural disaster related mitigation, resilience enhancement, and reconstruction projects.
  6. Partner, UNISDR Science and Technology Conference. An organising partner of the UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 to be held from 27-29 January 2016, Geneva, Switzerland. The conference aims to bring together the full diversity of the science and technology community, policy makers, practitioners and researchers from all geographical regions, at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss how the science and technology community will best support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
  7. Partner of the E Conference on Landside risk reduction – Model Policy frameworks, Standards and Guidelines on Landslide Disaster Reduction. World Centre of Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment in Sri Lanka. 2015.
  8. Partner of the E Conference on Landside risk reduction – Model Policy frameworks, Standards and Guidelines on Landslide Disaster Reduction. World Centre of Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment in Sri Lanka. 2015.
  9. Conference Co-chair, Ensuring Accountability in Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction, University of Colombo and University of Huddersfield, December 2015.
  10. Member of the International Scientific Committee, CIB International Conference on Going North for Sustainability: Leveraging knowledge and innovation for sustainable construction and development, London South Bank University, London, UK. November 2015.
  1. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 9th International FARU Conference on “Making built environments responsive”, Faculty of Architecture: University of Moratuwa, Colombo, Sri Lanka, December 2015.
  2. Event Co-chair, Development of Disaster Resilient Coastal Communities to Enhance Economic Development and Social Welfare, Global Disaster Resilience Centre, University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom & Research Center for Disaster Mitigation, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, November 2015.
  3. Conference Co-chair, Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Built Environment Education: Celebrating Project Successes University of Huddersfield, September 2015.
  4. Conference Co-organsier, Symposium on Enhancing Resilience of Critical Road Structures: Bridges, Culverts and Flood Ways, July 2015, RMIT, Australia. This symposium was held in association with “Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure: bridges, culverts and flood ways” project, led by RMIT, Australia, which is funded by Bush fire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (BNHCRC), Disaster Resilience Australia.
  5. Conference organiser, 5th International Conference on Building Resilience, Exploring the Concept of Resilience as a Useful Framework of Analysis for How Society can Cope with the Threat of Natural and Human Induced Hazards, Newcastle, Australia, 15th – 17th July 2015.
  6. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 11th International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (I3R2): Complex Disasters and Disaster Risk Management, August 27-29, 2015, Seoul, Korea
  7. International Committee Member, The “State of DRR at the Local Level”, A 2015 Report on the Patterns of Disaster Risk Reduction Actions at Local Level. An initiative of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) with the support of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign.
  8. A key partner of the E Conference on Landside risk reduction – Model Policy frameworks, Standards and Guidelines on Landslide Disaster Reduction. The event is being organized by the World Centre of Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment in Sri Lanka.
  9. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2014 Annual International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR): “Collaboration for Effective Disaster Mitigation and Response”, Perdue University, Indiana, USA, May 2014.
  10. International Scientific Committee Member, Third World Construction Symposium 2014, Sustainability and Development in the Built Environment: The Way Forward. Jointly organised by the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) and Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, June 2014.
  1. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 1st International Conference on Infrastructure Failures and Consequences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, July 2014.
  2. International Scientific Committee Member, Third World Construction Symposium 2014, Jun 2014.
  3. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 1st International Conference on Infrastructure Failures and Consequences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, July 2014.
  4. Conference Organising partner, the future we want; Safer Sri Lanka; Disaster Management Conference; 24-26 September 2014 – BMICH, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. Organised by Ministry of Disaster Management, Disaster management Centre, Department of Meteorology, National Building Research Organisation.
  5. Conference Co-chair, Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka: Ten Years On, 5th December 2014, Galle Face 6 Conference Hall, Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka Organized by SPARC, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Global Disaster Resilience Centre, University of Huddersfield, UK; University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
  6. Conference Co-chair, 4th International Conference on Building Resilience, Incorporating the 3rd Annual Meeting of the ANDROID Disaster Resilience Network, 8th – 11th September 2014, Salford Quays, United Kingdom.
  7. International Scientific Committee Member, 5th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment, December 2014, Sri Lanka.
  8. Conference Co-chair, The 2014 CIB W55/65/89 International Conference on Construction in a Changing World, Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka, 4th to 7th May 2014.
  9. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 4th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management 2013 (ICSECM), Kandy, Sri Lanka, 13-15 December 2013.
  10. Member of the International Scientific Committee, Dealing with Disasters Conference (DWD 2013):From Opportunity to Action: Bridging the Gap between Disaster Reduction and Development through Science(s), Technology and People Centred Actions, 4th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM 2013), The combined Dealing with Disasters 2013 and 4th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Risk Management (IDRiM), Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne 4th – 6th September 2013.
  1. Member of the scientific advisory committee, 9th Annual International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Renewal and Reconstruction on Risk-informed Disaster Management: Planning for Response, Recovery and Resilience, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2013.
  2. Conference co-chair, 2nd ANDROID conference, in Limassol, Cyprus, 23rd to 25th October 2013.
  3. Conference co-chair, International Conference on Building Resilience: Individual, institutional and societal coping strategies to address the challenges associated with disaster risk, Heritance Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, 17th – 19th September 2013.
  4. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2013 Annual International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR): Risk-informed Disaster Management: Planning for Response, Recovery and Resilience, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2013.
  5. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 4th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management 2013 (ICSECM), Kandy, Sri Lanka, 13-15 December 2013.
  6. Member of the international scientific committee, CIB World Congress, Brisbane, Australia, May 2013.
  7. Member of the international scientific committee, CIB World Congress, Brisbane, Australia, May 2013. 2013 World Congress focused on the relationship between construction and society, especially how research helps maximise the contribution of constructed assets to social goals and meet emerging social needs.
  8. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 4th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management 2013 (ICSECM), Kandy, Sri Lanka, 13-15 December 2013.
  9. Member of the International Scientific Committee, Dealing with Disasters Conference (DWD 2013):From Opportunity to Action: Bridging the Gap between Disaster Reduction and Development through Science(s), Technology and People Centred Actions, 4th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM 2013), The combined Dealing with Disasters 2013 and 4th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Risk Management (IDRiM), Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne 4th – 6th September 2013.
  10. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2nd World Construction Symposium 2013 on Socio Economic Sustainability in Construction: Practice, Policy and Research, jointly organised by the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB); International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB SB 13); International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE); United Nations Environment Programme – Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (UNEPSBCI); International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and, Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU). 14 – 16 June 2013.
  1. Conference co-chair, 1st ANDROID Conference, Tallinn, Estonia, 17th – 19th October 2012.
  2. Partner, Special disaster management session at the 6th International Conference and Workshop on the Built Environment in Developing Countries, 6th International Conference and Workshop on the Built Environment in Developing Countries (ICBEDC-2012)Fragmented Futures: the built environment in a volatile world. The University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, December 2012.
  3. Partner, International Open Science Conference: Global Environmental Change Innovations and Challenges, Chennai, INDIA, organised by University of Madras, India, 21-24 February 2012.
  4. Member of the Scientific and Technical Committee, Foundation Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC, Davos 2012.
  5. Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2012, Annual International Conference of the International Institute for Infrastructure Resilience and Reconstruction (IIIRR): International Conference on Disaster Management, Kumamoto, Japan, August 2012.
  6. Member of the organising committee and member of the international scientific committee, International Conference on Structural Engineering, Construction and Management, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 16 – 18 December 2012.
  7. Member of the international scientific committee, Dealing with Disasters International Conference 2012 – Mobilities and Disasters – Developing a Mobilities Social Science Perspective on the Analysis of Disaster, Organised by Northumbrian University and University of Hull, November 2012.
  8. Member of the international scientific committee, International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Guimarães, Portugal, July 9 – 11, 2012.
  9. Member of the international scientific committee,37th Annual conference of the Australasian Universities Building Educators Association (AUBEA), hosted by the Construction Management and Property Program at The University of New South Wales, Australia from 4 to 6 July 2012.
  10. Member of the international scientific committee, International Open Science Conference: Global Environmental Change Innovations and Challenges, Chennai, India, organised by University of Madras, India, 21-24 February 2012.
  1. Member of the international scientific committee of CIB W070, W092 & TG72 International Conference 2012, University of Cape Town, South Africa, January 2012.
  2. Member of the technical/scientific committee, Joint CIB W70 and W92 International Conference on Facilities Management and Procurement Systems: “Delivering Value to the Community”, to take place at the Graduate School of Business, Breakwater Campus of the University of Cape Town, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa, on 23rd – 25th January 2012.
  3. Member of the Academic Advisory Council of the international conference ‘Environmental Knowledge for Disaster Risk Management (ekDRM-2011)’, 10-11 May 2011 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, organised by National institute of disaster management, India and GIZ India.
  4. Member of the International Committee of Building the bridges between universities and communities: A Regional Policy Dialogue – conference organised by the University Grants Commission, Bangladesh (UGC) for the Bangladesh Vice Chancellors and coordinated by the British Council. December 2011.
  5. Member of the Scientific and Technical Committee, Foundation Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC, Davos 2011.
  6. Member of the organising committee and member of the international scientific committee, International Conference on Structural Engineering, Construction and Management, Kandy, Sri Lanka, organised by the Universities of Peradeniya and Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and University of Melbourne, Australia, 16 – 18 December 2011.
  7. Member of the international scientific committee, RICS Construction, Building and Real Estate International Research conference (COBRA 2011), The University of Salford, UK, September 2011.
  8. Member of the international scientific committee, The Royal Institutions of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK International Conference on Building Research and Education, Salford, Manchester, UK, September 2011.
  9. Member of the Intentional Scientific committee, 15th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveying (PAQS) Congress organised by the Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL) in association with the Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. July 2011.
  10. Member of the organising committee and member of the international scientific committee, International Conference on Structural Engineering, Construction and Management, 16 – 18 December 2011, Kandy, Sri Lanka, organised by the Universities of Peradeniya and Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and University of Melbourne, Australia.
  1. Member of the organising committee, International Conference on Structural Engineering, Construction and Management, Kandy, Sri Lanka, organised by the Universities of Peradeniya and Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and University of Melbourne, Australia, 16 – 18 December 2011.
  2. Conference chair, International Conference on Building Resilience : Interdisciplinary approaches to disaster risk reduction, and the development of sustainable communities and cities, Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka, 19th – 21st July 2011.
  3. International Scientific Committee Member, International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment (ICSBE), 13th and 14th December 2010, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya and Earl’s Regency, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
  4. Chairman of the international scientific committee, postgraduate research training and education stream, CIB World Congress, Salford Quays, 2010.
  5. Technical co-chair, Disaster Management, Construction Research Congress 2010, Innovation for Reshaping Construction Practice, The Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the University of Alberta, Canada. May 8 – 10th, 2010, Banff, Canada.
  6. Member of the international scientific committee, international research conference on sustainability, The Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) and Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, June 2010.
  7. Member of the international scientific committee, RICS Construction, Building and Real Estate International Research conference (COBRA 2010), September 2010, Paris, France.
  8. International advisory committee, International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment (ICSBE), 13th – 14th December 2010, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. This is a collaboration between Universities of Moratuwa, and Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and University of Melbourne in Australia.
  9. Leader of the international scientific committee & Leader, Disaster Management theme, RICS Construction, Building and Real Estate International Research conference (COBRA 2010), September 2010, Paris, France.
  10. Member of the international scientific committee, international research conference on sustainability, The Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) and Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, June 2010.
  1. Chairman of the international scientific committee & international scientific committee, postgraduate research training and education stream, CIB World Congress, Salford Quays, 2010.
  2. International scientific committee member, Associated Schools of Construction 46th Annual International Conference on “Building a global vision”, Boston, USA, April 2010.
  3. Member of the international scientific committee. Construction Research Congress 2010. Innovation for reshaping construction practice, May 2010, University of Alberta, Canada.
  4. Leader, Disaster Management theme, RICS Construction, Building and Real Estate International Research conference (COBRA 2010), September 2010, Paris, France.
  5. Theme Leader, Disaster Planning and Mitigation. Construction Research Congress 2010. Innovation for reshaping construction practice, University of Alberta, Canada. May 2010,
  6. Deputy Chairman of the organising committee, CIB World Congress 2010, Salford Quays, UK.
  7. Chairman of the organising committee, World Congress – Post Graduate research conference of CIB TG53, CIB World Congress 2010, Salford Quays, UK.
  8. Member of the conference organising committee, International Institute for Infrastructure Renewal & Reconstruction international conference, University of Hawaii, USA. (September 2010).
  9. Member of the conference organising committee. Construction Research Congress 2010. Innovation for reshaping construction practice, May 2010, University of Alberta, Canada.
  10. International Organising committee member, CIB international conference on Changing Roles – new roles and new challenges, Delft, The Netherlands, 2009.
  1. Chairman of the international steering committee, Sri Lanka Facilities Management international symposium, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. June 2009.
  2. International scientific committee member, CIB2009 – Joint International Symposium of CIB Working Commissions: W055: Building Economics & W065: Organization and Management of Construction – Dubrovnik, 27 September-1 October 2009.
  3. Member of the international organising committee, International conference on social development and transition: Paths for global local partnerships, International consortium for social development: The Asia-Pacific branch, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2008.
  4. Conference chair, BUILDING RESILIENCE, CIB W89 International Conference on Building Education and Research, in conjunction with CIB, W113, CIB TG53, CIB TG63, CIB TG67, CIB TG68, and CIB TG69, Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka, February 2008.
  5. International steering committee, Resilient Organisations – New Zealand. A multi university research collaboration funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and supported by industry partners and advisors. Current members include University of Canterbury, University of Auckland & Unitec, Auckland. 2008.
  6. International scientific committee member, CIB2008 – Joint International Symposium of CIB Working Commissions: W055: Building Economics & W065: Organization and Management of Construction on transformation through construction, November 2008, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  7. International scientific committee member, International conference on social development and transition: Paths for global local partnerships, International consortium for social development: The Asia-Pacific branch, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2008.
  8. Scientific committee member, International Research Week, University of Salford, Salford Quays, UK. 2008.
  9. International scientific committee member, The International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2008) – 25th jubilee symposium. The 25th ISARC (ISARC 2008) was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from June 27th to 29th of June 2008.
  10. Chairman of the International Scientific Committee. CIB W89 International Conference on Building Education and Research to be held in Sri Lanka in February 2008.
  1. Co-chairman of the International Organising Committee. CIB W89International Conference on Building Education and Research to be held in Sri Lanka in February 2008.
  2. Co-chairman of the 7th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and Human Environment conferences, Salford Quays, Salford: UK. 2007.
  3. Chairman of Organising Committee for 7th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu), 27th – 29th March 2007.
  4. Chairman of the International Scientific committee for 7th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu), 27th – 29th March 2007.
  5. Association of Researchers of Construction Management (ARCOM) annual conference, international scientific committee, 2004 – 2007.
  6. Co-chairman of the international scientific committee for 6th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) and Delft University of Technology and TNO, Delft, The Netherlands, 6th – 7th April 2006.
  7. Chairman of the International Scientific committee for 6th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) and Delft University of Technology and TNO, Delft, The Netherlands, 6th – 7th April 2006.
  8. Chairman of the International Scientific committee for 5th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) 13th – 15th April 2005.
  9. Scientific committee member for several other international conferences including Association of Researchers in Construction Management Conference (UK, 2004, 2005, 2006); 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5t, 6th & 7th International Postgraduate Research Conferences (Salford, 2001, 2002 & Portugal, 2003); 2nd CIB Student Chapters International Symposium (China, 2004); 2nd & 3rd education in the changing environment conference (UK, 2005, 2006); PRoBE conference (Glasgow, 2005).
  10. Chairman of Organising Committee for 6th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) and Delft University of Technology and TNO, Delft, The Netherlands, 6th – 7th April 2006.
  1. Conference co-chair, 6th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) and Delft University of Technology and TNO, Delft, The Netherlands, 6th – 7th April 2006.
  2. Chairman of Organising Committee for 5th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) 13th – 15th April 2005.
  3. Chairman of Organising Committee for 4th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) 1st – 2nd April 2004.
  4. Chairman of the International Scientific committee for 4th International Postgraduate Research Conference in the Built and human Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu) 1st – 2nd April 2004.
  5. Member of the organising committee, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) annual international building and construction research conference (COBRA), University of Salford, 1999.
  6. Deputy Chairman. Forum on “Creating an Awareness in the Construction Industry of the Quantity Surveying Profession in Sri Lanka”. Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. 1990.

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