Current and previous external responsibilities

Dilanthi  leads and have representation on many of the field’s most distinguished and influential international networks and committees. These appointments demonstrate the high standing of her work among peers and major stakeholders. They also position her  to engage globally with key development agencies; local, regional and central government; universities and other higher education and further education bodies; and employers, industry and professional bodies. In doing so, she believes that she is  able to direct and influence future policy and the research agenda. These appointments acknowledge her  global standing, while also providing me the opportunities to strengthen partnerships and discover best practices. She  will continue to make an impact through her  involvement in these national and international strategic advisory bodies, and some key examples in this context are listed below:

1

Current external responsibilities in International and National Committees and International Expert input

  1. Member of the UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) Regional Coordination Committee for Europe. Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) is an initiative led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its partners to support cities in taking action to reduce disaster risk in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Launched in October 2020 and operational in January 2021, MCR2030 emerges from a decade long of advocacy and capacity building work that reached more than 6,000 cities across the globe within the network of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign. Through its Regional Coordination Committee (RCC-Europe), MCR2030 brings together key regional partners and selected city representatives, responsible for coordinating and ensuring synergies among regional partners in providing technical support to cities to empower them to progress along with the resilience roadmap.
  2. Member of the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and UNDRR European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG). The principal goal of the European Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (E-STAG) is to provide scientific and technical support to the 56 European and Central Asian countries for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and other DRR related relevant frameworks or policies in the EU. There are two members from each country, and I am one of the two appointments representing the UK.
  3. Joint Editor in Chief, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment. Published by Emerald Publishing, UK, the journal, indexed in SCOUPS and ISI Web of Science™Core Collection, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), is the only journal in the field to promote research and scholarly activity that examines the role of building and construction to anticipate and respond to disasters that damage or destroy the built environment (http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/ijdrbe.htm). Currently in its 15th volume, Dilanthi co-established this journal in 2009.
  4. Steering Committee Member of the UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR). UKADR seeks to foster innovative interdisciplinary research, as well as professional applied research structures to be able to predict or respond to slow and rapid onset hazards with relevant scientific advice The primary motivation for the UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR) is to bring together the UK’s rich and diverse disaster research community, to facilitate collaboration and partnership in order to aid representation of the research community at government level in the UK and to facilitate where appropriate the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. UKADR aims to support excellence in science and enhance opportunity for impact on policy and practice by acting as: An alliance of the research and academic disaster research community to facilitate collaboration and partnership across the UK; An advocate of UK science to UK Government; A contact point for UK Government seeking the best UK science input; A mechanism for UK Government to communicate emerging needs to the UK science community.
  5. Formally appointed Expert member of the ICG/IOTWMS WG-1 on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness & Preparedness. IOC-UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS). The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system. Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) Member List including all Indian Ocean surrounding 28 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Djibouti, France – Reunion, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
  6. Appointed Expert, Capacity Assessment Task Team of Tsunami Preparedness of the IOTWMS Member States, led by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS), initiative to reassess the state of tsunami preparedness in Indian Ocean Member States, reflect on progress made, identify remaining gaps, and prioritize capacity development requirements, and to provide recommendations. Tsunami National Contacts (TNCs), Tsunami Warning Focal Points, National Tsunami Warning Centre Contacts, in all the ICG/IOTWMS Member States, and Permanent Delegates/Observer Missions to UNESCO of ICG/IOTWMS Member States are part of this regional survey.
  7. Appointment to the Advisory Council of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC). Advisory Council engages eminent individuals in DRR and CR to provide advice to ADPC in support of its strategy, policy and activities. This includes identification of future priorities and opportunities, and the development of clear plans of action to address these priorities and opportunities, integrating activity across thematic areas and cross cutting issues. The advisory council will advise on the partnership (member countries, development partners and other stakeholders), required to implement ADPC’s program and projects in accordance with its strategy, and identifies disaster-related needs of countries and communities throughout the region and to provide strategic guidance in support of ADPC’s institutional growth. ADPC is an autonomous international organisation for cooperation in and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific. As of January 2020, ADPC is operating as an autonomous international organisation governed by the Board of Trustees. (https://www.adpc.net/igo/Default.asp)
  8. Appointed Expert (one of the two from the UK) of UN Women – Women’s Resilience to Disasters Programme. UN Women, The Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD) programme proposes a comprehensive package to strengthen women’s resilience to disasters and threats, including climate change and COVID-19.  It advances women leadership and gender-responsiveness in global disaster risk reduction and climate change processes and frameworks. It strengthens coordination across key stakeholders working to build the enabling environment for women’s resilience to disasters.
  9. A Steering Committee Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering with specific input to theFrontiers of Development programme. Appointed as a Steering Committee Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering with specific input to the Frontiers of Development programme, which is a programme across the Royal Academy of Engineering, The Academy of Medical Sciences, The British Academy and The Royal Society. It is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund that supports cutting-edge research to address the challenges faced by developing countries.  Frontiers connects and empowers enthusiastic researchers, innovators and practitioners from the UK and around the world to work together on new ways to solve complex global challenges. By stimulating collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking, it aims to catalyse creative solutions that deliver impact and build a lasting global community, equipped to achieve a sustainable and inclusive society.
  10. Invited Member of the Task Force on “Resilience in the Construction Industry”, Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management Programmes (GLF-CEM). GLF-CEM brings together professors from leading universities around the world who play a leadership and/or administrator role in their respective programs. The objective of this forum is to establish a body of academic leadership in Construction Engineering and Management to discuss and share issues of common concern in Research, Teaching, Academic Administration, and Opportunities for Collaboration. It explores and defines: what do we mean by Resilience in the Construction Industry? Do we have a common understanding and acceptance of the word with respect to the construction industry? What capacities/ strategies would be required in the construction industry to be more resilient under such circumstance? What is the role of academic institutions in improving the resilience of the construction industry?
  11. Principal Liaison Point – UK, of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Sri Lanka Initiative on “Constructive Engagement and Building Mutually Rewarding Partnerships with Sri Lankan Expatriates in the UK”. Universities in Sri Lanka face a variety of challenges in increasing their research capacity, knowledge production and preparing future generations of scholars. Easy communication, quick travel, and greater collaborations between developed and developing countries are increasingly more common and we need to develop ways in which UK based professionals can contribute to their country of origin, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka can gain considerable advantage by harnessing the talents and resources of Sri Lankan Expatriates in the UK (SLUK), which have grown significantly in size and scope.
  12. Member of the Agenda Development Expert Review Group. Development of the Framework for Global Science in Support of Risk-informed Sustainable Development and Planetary Health. Prepared by the DRR Research Agenda Core Group; sponsored by the Integrated Research for Disaster Risk programme, International Science Council, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It takes stock of recent developments in disaster risk science and provides a compelling set of directions for research and scientific collaboration for a more holistic and collaborative approach to understanding and managing risks.
  13. Appointed Expert and Advisor, Strengthening Urban Resilience, and Responding to Extreme Weather Events. World Bank in partnership with Ministry of Emergency Management, People’s Republic of China. Providing advice on city resilience, capturing relevant international experiences, and proposing policy recommendations tailored based on a case study highlighting the experiences of and lessons learned in city’s response to extreme events. It will showcase intentional best practices on urban resilience and facilitates peer to peer learning between Chinese Policy makers and their international counterparts.
  14. Expert Member, GAR Special Report 2024 – Extreme Weather and the New Abnormal: Learning from the past for a more resilient future, UNDRR. How to build resilience to increasingly frequent and extreme events, particularly in the context of cascading impacts and interconnected poly-crises, is a key global challenge for all countries, and especially for those with pre-existing high levels of hazard exposure and vulnerability. GAR SR 2024 aims to learn from the past to inform the future. Applying a simplified ‘disaster forensics’ approach to recent major events, it will unpack key elements in hazard, vulnerability and exposure and the capacity of people and governance systems that contributed to increasing or decreasing impacts in several recent major disasters.
  15. Working Group member, MCR2030 – RCC thematic semesters Risk Financing Working Group on Financing a Transition towards Climate Resilience”, UNDRR. Exchange of experiences from cities, financial service providers and investors and stakeholders on the implementation of disaster resilience plans and projects. Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative: Challenges and opportunities in mobilising funding for building resilience to shared and contextual challenges of cities in the region. Practical solutions for project development and implementation.
  16. Member of the Board of Advisors,Article 25. Article 25 is the UK’s leading architectural NGO working in the Global South. It is working to improve access to healthcare, education and shelter across the Global South and to deploy our professional skills as architects and project managers to make this happen.
  17. Visiting Professor, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia. Andalas is one of the major public institutions of higher learning in Indonesia, and the oldest outside the island of Java. The university is known for its excellence in social sciences and medical program and has produced numerous distinguished alumni in public and private service. In November 2019, Andalas was ranked fourth best Indonesian research university from a nationwide evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Research and Technology.
  18. International Expert,Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka. Disaster Management Centre (DMC) was established in 2005 as the lead agency on disaster risk management in Sri Lanka in implementing the directives of National Council of Disaster Management (NCDM).
  19. International Faculty. Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) International Medical Congress. Set up in 1887, it is an an advisory body on health policy to the Sri Lankangovernment and 
  20. A member of the Advisory Boardof the Federation of Local Governments Authorities Sri Lanka (FSLGA). To ensure strategic direction and guidance needed ahead. The Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities (FSLGA) is the umbrella organisation for all 346 local government associations in Sri Lanka.
  21. Member of the Advisory Committee of the Association of Disaster Risk Management Professionals (ADRiMP) of Sri Lanka. ADRiMP will work towards nurturing a culture of safety in Sri Lanka from the impact of disasters and climate change and will provide policy advice and facilitate capacity building services including strategic learning, research, training, system development, expertise promotion and exchange of information for effective disaster risk reduction.
  22. Member of the UNDRR Global Risk Assessment Framework Working Group (GRAF) on Risk Communication. The Global Risk Assessment Framework (GRAF) aims to help UNDRR’s partners enhance their understanding of the changing nature of risk to scale-up and accelerate solutions for resilience. GRAF offers solutions to realize the 2030 goal of the Sendai Framework and the outcome of risk-informed sustainable development. GRAF is unique in providing actionable options to address disaster vulnerability, exposure and risk. The GRAF will provide guidance on what concrete measures can be undertaken now to reduce risk in your country. It will connect individuals, communities, municipalities, sectors, countries and regions to the information that will enable them to make practical decisions. The GRAF is coordinated by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and is co-financed by the governments of the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany. As a global collaborative framework for developing, sharing and innovating in the use of risk information across hazards, disciplines, and geographic scales (i.e, global to local), the GRAF leverages existing institutions to build new partnerships that can better address the systemic nature of risk and its cascading effects.
  23. 2007-date Provide leadership to the international conferences on building resilience This series of international conferences demonstrate her role, as a leader in the field, an excellent organiser, and as a conduit for international collaboration and engagement. Many of these conferences have brought together major international networks to address global challenges and advance research agendas. I Co-Chaired 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 conferences

2

Previous External Responsibilities

  1. Scientific Adviser on ‘Crisis Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience’. Nominated by the Network of European Academies of Science following a call for experts organised by Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) for a scoping workshop of the “Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) of the European Commission”, and subsequently was selected by the Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission to be part of the scoping workshop leading to scientific advice on ‘Crisis Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience’. The GCSA provides high-level, independent scientific advice to the European Commission leadership (“President, Vice-Presidents and Commissioners”). 2023
  2. 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 was 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.  2023
  3. International expert on: “Gender Review: Strengthening public governance approaches and capacities to advance gender equality in Colombia”. As part of “Fostering Institutional Efficiency and Public-Governance Effectiveness in Colombia as Strategic Enablers to sustain Inclusive Growth and bring Colombia closer to the OECD”, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development”. It aims to assess public governance approaches and capacities to advance gender equality outcomes in Colombia, and to promote a recovery pathway from Covid-19 that enables economic and social empowerment of women from diverse backgrounds in Colombia. 2022 – 2023
  4. Member, Expert Group on Principles for Resilient Infrastructure. UNDRR, University College London and the Institution of Civil Engineers. The Principles for Resilient Infrastructure are being developed to: Assist in raising awareness and setting a common basic understanding of what “resilient infrastructure” constitutes; Form the basis for planning and implementation of infrastructure projects that take resilience as a core value; Communicate the desired outcomes of national infrastructure systems to establish resilience of critical services; and, Assist the public and private sectors in making risk-informed policy and investment decisions. The purpose of the Expert Group is to solicit input and feedback from experts on: What are the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure?; Applicability by Sector and Holistically ; Net Resilience Gain and Resilient Infrastructure KPIs; and the need for standards. There was a  handbook  that will be developed that will allow designated Ministries in National Governments, Infrastructure Regulators, Investors and other stakeholder to implement these principles and monitor its inclusion. 2022 – 2023
  5. Expert contributing to the workshop, Collaborative Expert Workshop and Panel Discussion on Nature Inspired Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction. March 2023, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Organised by University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. This is to better understand the state of the art and potential application of NIS to reduce the impact of coastal hazards. Project outcomes will identify key research gaps in NIS for DRR, and provide a basis for the development of future, externally funded research project proposals.
  6. Member, Expert group, Guidance to Implement Infrastructure Resilience: Planners, Contractors, Engineers, Designers, and Academia. Playbook for engineers, contractors, designers and academia. Intergovernmental processes, Interagency cooperation and Partnerships, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), October 2022. The play book will combine the actions and guidance per specific stakeholder/user group. This will allow to target the interventions and performance indicators to relevant groups. There will be case studies, business cases, and examples to better illustrate how the principles and interventions can be applied by each of the stakeholders/user.
  7. Gender responsive DRR governance: what do we need to empower women in DRR and how do we get there? Member of the Extended Gender Expert and Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD), UNDRR, Australia aid, UN Women, 2022. Held at the UN Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, this is a multi-stakeholder forum, an avenue to share knowledge and discuss the latest developments and trends in reducing disaster risk. The UN General Assembly recognises the Global Platform as a critical mechanism to review progress on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Specific input from this session towards the UN Global platform co-chairs summary included:  i) the gender and intersectional dimensions of disasters; ii) the importance of addressing structural barriers to women’s leadership voice, agency, meaningful participation and advocacy for gender-responsive resilience; iii) the need to galvanise and support grassroots organisations and networks including through increased  funding; iv) the importance of promoting a gender-responsive and inclusive Midterm Review process of the Sendai Framework; and v) a call to develop a gender action plan to support gender-responsive implementation of the Sendai Framework.
  8. Member of the ISC-UNDRR Expert Review Group (ERG) for the Development of a New Global Disaster Risk Reduction Research Agenda Towards 2030 and beyond. ERG members are expected to provide their views, insights, suggestions, written contributions, and recommendations for the Research Agenda, and to help to identify critical research gaps, strategic directions and areas of cooperation between scientific communities and between science, policy and other stakeholder groups. In doing so, ERG members are expected to provide their views, insights, suggestions and recommendations for the Research Agenda, and to help to identify critical research gaps, strategic directions and areas of cooperation between scientific communities and between science, policy and other stakeholder groups. I was representing the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and UNDRR European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG) at the ERG. 2020 – 2021
  9. Expert Member of the International Consultation on the Global Best Practices in Gender Balance Toolkit. Organised by the OECD, in consultation with the UAE Gender Balance Council and Global Council for Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), who is developing a ‘Global Best Practices for Gender Balance Toolkit’. The Toolkit will profile successful gender balance policies, legislation, and initiatives across core areas, to support government and institutions around the world to advance women’s multi-dimensional empowerment. Dilanthi was specifically invited to lead the discussion discuss Section 4: Adopting a Gender Lens in Crisis and Emergency Management, on 1). How do we plan for future crises – economic, social, health, etc., to ensure response and recovery are gender-responsive? and 2). What has the Covid-19 crisis revealed in terms of government capacities for gender mainstreaming? This consultation brought together approximatively 20 technical gender experts from around the world with the objective of sharing practical country examples and advise on the practical application of this section of the Toolkit. 2021
  10. Advisory Member, Stress Testing Infrastructure Resilience in Sri Lanka. UNDRR, State Ministry of Rural Roads and other Infrastructure, Sri Lanka. Efforts towards enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure against hazards and the negative impacts of climate change, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is supporting member states in stress testing the resilience of critical infrastructure and its related services. The stress test will provide insights regarding the performance of critical infrastructure against various stressors, which will be followed by an assessment that provides specific policy recommendations. 2022 – 2023
  11. Member of the International Advisory Board, Initiative on Co-creating resilient future(s): setting agendas for inclusive disaster governance through bottom-up multi-level stakeholder engagement in the City of Zurich. To better understand the potentials of Social Work within Disaster governance, and to explore commonalities and differences of   the City of Zurich case with other case studies within Disaster / Covid-19 governance. University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and Swiss national Foundation special Program Call on Covid-19 and Society. 2021- 2022
  12. Member of the Expert Panel: ‘High Level Policy Dialogue on Localizing Climate Resilience Agenda: 2050 and 2100 Visions”. Was appointed as a member of the Expert Panel on ‘High Level Policy Dialogue on Localizing Climate Resilience Agenda: 2050 and 2100 Visions” of India, September 2021. This high-level dialogue was organised the National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. This forum provided an all-inclusive viewpoints and framework developmentfor developing a futuristic climate localization agenda. 2021
  13. Member of the RICS Round Table on National Resilience Strategy (Representing Research and Universities) in Response to the UK Cabinet Office’s National Resilience Strategy. Core themes include Risk and Resilience, Responsibilities and Accountability, Partnerships, Community, Investment, and Resilience in an Interconnected World. The UK Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister to ensure the effective running of government and is the corporate headquarters for government, in partnership with HM Treasury, and takes the lead in critical policy areas. 2021
  14. Expert of the Consultative discussion on IOWave23 exercise arrangements and Tsunami Ready country status in Sri Lanka, with NTWC and NDMO. The IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) at its 13th session (Bali, Indonesia, 28 November–1 December 2022, decided to organise an Indian Ocean Wave Exercise in 2023 (IOWave23) and established a Task Team to plan and conduct the exercise. This discussion involved planning implementation of the exercise in Sri Lanka, in conjunction with national stakeholders. Organised by: Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka. 2022
  15. An international expert on “A Regional Assessment of DRM Institutions in the South Asia Region” with Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives, a partnership with Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC). We will engage with key stakeholders in each country as well as regional stakeholders such as UN agencies, civil society organisations, and bilateral and multilateral development partners. This is a World Bank initiative. 2019 –2021
  16. Expert Input to United Nations European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction in Portugal (EFDRR). I was invited substantially contribute to the Regional Assessment Report to be launched at the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction in Portugal (EFDRR). My contribution will be mainly framed around Integration of Covid-19 perspective to the Regional Assessment Report and will be built around How can past and ongoing work on Covid-19 be utilized to include reflections from the pandemic in the RAR? 2021
  17. Expert Input towards the DRR Research Agenda and the Horizon Europe Programme. Invited to provide input towards the DRR Research Agenda and the Horizon Europe Programme with the European Commission. It was a valuable opportunity in triggering suggestions and comments, especially in representing views and ideas of our network on international collaborators. This exchange was an opportunity to better understand the priorities considered by the European Union, and more specifically on societal resilience, integrated disaster risk management, and technologies. This dialogue further provided an opportunity to engage with the European Commission and deliver expertise on science-policy interface and DRR Research Agenda. Horizon Europe is the ambitious EU research and innovation framework programme (2021-2027). The Commission proposes a budget of € 100 billion for Horizon Europe. 2021
  18. Scientific advice on ‘Crisis Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience’. Was nominated by the  network of European academies of science following a call for experts organised byScience Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) for a scoping workshop of the “Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) of the European Commission”, and subsequently was selected by the DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR RESEARCH & INNOVATION of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION to be part of the scoping workshop leading to scientific advice on  ‘Crisis Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience’ . The GCSA provides high-level, independent scientific advice to the European Commission leadership (“President, Vice-Presidents and Commissioners”).  January 2021
  19. UNDRR Regional Assessment Report: MOVING FROM RESPONSE TO INVESTING IN PREVENTION OF RISKS. Was invited to make specific contributions towards the “UNDRR Regional Assessment Report: MOVING FROM RESPONSE TO INVESTING IN PREVENTION OF RISKS”, which will be launched at the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held from 24 – 26 November 2021, in Matosinhos, Portugal. I contributed to the chapters on: Preventing risk through resilient infrastructure; implementation of Green and Blue Infrastructure; “Mis-pricing of risk for business; COVID and lessons learned in the UK; From risk perception to risk behaviour – how awareness at local level can be crucial for risk management; Multi-stakeholder approaches to the management of complex risks ; and Fostering policy coherence for sustainable development. UNDRR Europe, with fifty-five countries, is broadening the definition of risk from natural hazards to the new social and economic realities, threats and risks in Europe. The regional assessment report’s core thesis is for European policies and instruments to coherently invest in preventing risk rather than expensively responding to the aftermath of disasters. Central to the argument is preventing systemic failures due to increasing, cascading and compounding risk in investments coherent with future climate, social and economic realities.
  20. Community of European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) DISASTER RISK SOCIETIES – SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT TO THE SENDAI Framework of action. Was invited to provide specific scientific input towards the DRR research agenda and the Sendai Framework organized by the European Commission’s DG Home and DG Research (RTD), held on the 9th March 2021.  The aim of this event was to continue the discussion with stakeholders to contribute to improve DRR research and the science policy interface. 2021
  21. 2021 United Nations High Level Policy Forum on Sustainable Development. Invited by the UN to be part of the 2021 High Level Policy Forum (HLPF) Thematic Review Expert Group Meeting, held on the 17th May 2021. The theme of the 2021 HLPF is “Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. HLPF thematic reviews of the above theme and SDGs brought together a multi-stakeholder group of experts from academia, civil society, government experts participating in their individual capacity, and UN system technical colleagues. Participants assessed progress and challenges to achieving the in-focus SDGs in the context of the broader 2030 Agenda; considered how COVID-19 response and recovery efforts can contribute to achieving these SDGs; identified areas of concern and opportunities for transformation; and suggested partnerships and ways forward during the decade of action to mitigate trade-offs, harness synergies and leave no one behind. 2021
  22. European Science and Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG) Expert, Engagement with UK Research and Innovation on Adaptation and Resilience for COP26. Co-Chair/Member of the E-STAG members and nominated guests with the focus to identify concrete cutting-edge research questions, examples of successful research and impact and recommendations for action and research. Key messages that were conveyed at COP26 included: What research is needed to respond to the adaptation gap?; How to evaluate the feasibility of adaptation options and outcomes for resilient and sustainable development?; What examples are there of transformative adaptation research enabling action through addressing social justice, capacity building and governance? Findings were shared with the E-STAG national representatives to capture the views of all, and a summary document was shared with UKRI. This was incorporated into a synthesis statement. Findings were also shared with UNDRR for input to the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, 24-26 November 2021. E-STAG is a group of science and technology experts, nominated by EU Member States. 2021
  23. Expert Adviser,Sri Lanka Community Landslide Risk Mitigation Project, National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and the World Bank. To help Government of Sri Lanka in undertaking a systematic approach for reducing the impacts of landslides as landslides are considered to be a major natural hazard. This project is being implemented by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in partnership with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI). 2017 – 2021
  24. UNDRR Invited Contributor – 2021- 2030 EFDRR Roadmap for Coordinated Implementation of Sendai Framework for DRR and related SDGs Targets until 2030. The Roadmap 2021-2030 spotlights priorities for action building on progress from the 2015-2020 Roadmap and learnings from Covid-19 response and recovery. It supports better understanding and communication of systemic existing, emergent, and future disaster and climate risks for increased action and investment. It also spotlights all-of-society, collaborative, system, and evidence-driven approaches for better governance and decision-making for a disaster-resilient European and Central Asian region in 2030. The EFDRR Roadmap 2021-2030 identifies four shared priority areas for achieving the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The four shared priorities include 16 common action areas for development and investment, along with five enabling approaches. The Roadmap builds on consultation with European and Central Asian countries, the review of progress in implementing the Roadmap 2015-2020, and lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic response and recovery. November 2021
  25. Expert input on “Embedding Resilience”, Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development. Input on: Assessment of the state-of-the-art in the relevant field, General principles and policy implications, and Consideration of potential application and implications within the Oxford-Cambridge ARC. December 2021
  26. International observer for Sri Lanka for the UNESCO IOTWMS Indian Ocean Tsunami Exercise (IOWave20) held on the 13th October 2020. Was the international observer for Sri Lanka for the UNESCO IOTWMS Indian Ocean Tsunami Exercise (IOWave20) held on the 13th October 2020. IOWave20 simulated all Indian Ocean countries being put in a tsunami warning situation and required the National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC) and the National and/or Local Disaster Management Offices (NDMO/LDMO) in each country to implement their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). She also shared the key points with the rest of the 28 Indian Ocean countries during the workshop: “IOTWMS-IOTIC Post-IOWave20 Lessons Learnt during Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 2020”, held from November 2020, organised by UNESCO- IOTWMS. 2020
  27. Advisory Panel Member. Resilient Cities Initiative. United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) (http://www.unisdr.org/we/campaign/cities ). The overall goal of the campaign is to achieve resilient, sustainable urban communities, with a growing number of local governments that are taking actions to reduce the risks to disasters. A longer-term objective following the campaign is to empower local governments with stronger national policies to invest in risk reduction at local level, as part of urban and regional development plans. “Through the Campaign towards safer cities and urban risk reduction, we can save lives, achieve gains towards the Millennium Development Goals, help protect natural resources, the urban heritage and the economic activities…”. 2010- 2020
  28. Formally appointed international expert of IOC UNESCO, ICG/IOTWMS inter-sessional Task Team on “Tsunami Preparedness for a Near-Field Tsunami Hazard”. The Task Team works towards enhancing Tsunami preparedness for near-field tsunami hazard including improving end-to-end national warning chains learning from the recent tsunami events. The Task Team will report to the Steering Group and be composed of representatives from WG-1, WG-2, WG-NWIO, IOTIC, interested Member States and international experts with a Chair and Vice-Chair. 2020 – 2022
  29. Expert input towards the Guidelines for “Community preparedness, early warning and response plans” in an event of a Tsunami, Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka. I was appointed as the DRR discipline experts in proving input to Disaster Preparedness and Response of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, towards their “Institutionalising the Hospital Preparedness in Emergencies (HOPE)” initiative. This is an initiative under the “Programme for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)” in collaboration with ADPC, supported by USAID.
  30. Invited Contributing partner, Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP). Governments, local humanitarian organizations and the private sector have come together to form the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP) for strengthening the capacity on preparedness for emergency response in Asia. The APP will strive to improve the interface and partnership between Government, Local Humanitarian Organizations and Private Sector for enhancing capacities through partnerships, knowledge resources, training, and networking opportunities. 2017 – 2020
  31. One of two in the UK, formally appointed UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Resilient Cities. This appointment is based on the premise that I demonstrate and have knowledge in the field of disaster risk reduction and the “Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient”. I seek opportunities to promote the campaign with cities and local governments and suggest innovative ideas and suggestions for further developing the campaign. 2014 – 2020
  32. Expert input towards the Guidelines for “Community preparedness, early warning and response plans” in an event of a Tsunami, Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka. Professors Dilanthi Amaratunga was appointed as the DRR discipline experts in proving input to Disaster Preparedness and Response of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, towards their “Institutionalising the Hospital Preparedness in Emergencies (HOPE)” initiative . This is an initiative under the “Programme for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)” in collaboration with ADPC, supported by USAID. December 2020
  33. An invited international expert, the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) Intersessional Meeting of Task Team on Tsunami Preparedness for a Near Field Tsunami Threat (TT-Near Field) at BMKG (Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics), Indonesia, from 28th September 2019 to 3rd October 2019.  One of the core functions of the Task Team is to Assist Member States (24 of them) threatened by near-field tsunami threat to adapt and integrate their national warning chains and SOPs, particularly in relation to community preparedness for self-evacuation. 2019
  34. An invited international expert, THE INTERSESSIONAL MEETINGS OF THE UNESCO INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION GROUP FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM (ICG/IOTWMS), UNESCO IOC Working Group 1: Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness and Preparedness held at BMKG, Jakarta, Indonesia, held on the 3rd October 2019. Contributed with the research findings from CABARET and INTERFACE projects in mainstreaming tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction into sustainable development to help achieve resilient communities in the region. 2019
  35. Expert input at the Science and Policy Forum for the Implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13-14 May 2019, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Co-organized by UNISDR Science Technology Advisory Groups (STAG), International Science Council (ISC), and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)
  36. Expert input at the Regional meeting with European Focal Points and Governments, 14 May 2019, UNISDR. A meeting around representatives and National Focal Points from 55 European and Central Asia Member States. United Nations Global Platform, Geneva, Switzerland. 2018
  37. Expert input to the UN the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, the Workshop on Making Cities Resilient: Implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Local Level, organised by the UNISDR Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR GETI) and UN-HABITAT City Resilience Profiling Programme. 21 to 23 November 2018 in Rome, Italy.
  38. Expert member, ICG/IOTWMS inter-sessional Task Team on “Capacity Assessment of Tsunami Preparedness”, ICG/IOTWMS. IOC-UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS). The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system. Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) Member List including all Indian Ocean surrounding 28 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Djibouti, France – Reunion, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 2016 – 2018.
  39. Global Working Group Co- Leader, Words into action – leading UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Words into Action Guidelines on Construction Practice and Policy. Appointed by UNISDR under the initiative towards the Development of the Sendai Framework “Words into Action” Implementation Guide for the Construction Practice and Policy. There are 86 international experts in the working group representing a variety of stakeholders including governments, NGOs, academia, professional bodies and Industry. 2016 – 2019
  40. Global Working Group Leader. UNISDR Words into Action Guidelines on Accountability within the context of disaster risk governance. Appointed by the UNISDR Inter Governmental Support Group in January 2016, under the initiative towards the Development of the Sendai Framework “Words into Action” Implementation Guides for Governance for  Disaster Risk Reduction. It provided the guidelines for strengthening disaster risk governance for UN member states.  There are 45 international experts in the working group representing a variety of stakeholders including governments, NGOs, academia, UN and Business. UNISDR Words into Action Guidelines, Accountability in the context of disaster risk governance, was subsequently published by UNISDR in 2019 https://www.preventionweb.net/files/70355_70342earlywarningcropmonitor202002.pdf  2016 – 2020.
  41. Global Working Group Leader, Words into action – Appointed by UNISDR under the initiative towards the Development of the Sendai Framework “Words into Action” Implementation Guide for the Construction Practice and Development Policy. 2016 – 2018.
  42. International Post disaster reconstruction and resilience building expert of the World Bank initiative on: “Sri Lanka: Development of Community Landslides Risk Mitigation”, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand and Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway. 2017 – 2018
  43. Expert Working Group member of the United Nations Words into Action on “Built Back Better”. This guide will provide practical, evidence-based guidance to support stakeholder efforts in “building back better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction, drawn from and featuring prevailing expertise and lessons learned. It will include information applicable to key economic and social sectors. 2017 – 2019
  44. Co-Lead the ANDROID Disaster Resilience Network. ANDROID (Academic Network for Disaster Resilience to Optimise Educational Development) aims to promote co-operation and innovation among European HE to increase society’s resilience to disasters of human and natural origin. The network’s teaching and research is concerned with what resilience is, what it means to society, and how societies might achieve greater resilience in the face of increasing threats from natural and human induced hazards. It had 67 formal partners from the EU and from Canada, Australia and Sri Lanka and 285+ associate partners globally. 2011-2018
  45. An international expertof the research initiative to explore possibilities of good ageing in place for elderly population in Malaysia particularly in the urban area with the focus only on laded property, a one-year project funded by the National Real Estate Research Coordinator (NAPREC) grant scheme coordinated by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia. 2017 2022
  46. Expert inputat the National Science Challenge Workshop on “Resilience to Nature’s Challenges”, that was held at the 6th International Building Resilience Conference 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, from 7-9th of September 2016. The 2015-2019 research programme for Resilience to Nature’s Challenges, National Science Challenge (RNC) applies ~ $4.5 million/year (including contestable research) toward ten programs, working toward the vision that: New Zealand is a nation of people who have transformed their lives, enterprises and communities to anticipate, adapt and thrive in the face of ever-changing nature’s challenges. 2016
  47. International Scientific Adviser, CIB WORLD BUILDING CONGRESS 2016 on INTELLIGENT BUILT ENVIRONMENT FOR LIFE, May 30 – June 3, 2016, Tampere Hall, Tampere, Finland. The theme for CIB World Building Congress 2016 is “Intelligent built environment for life”. It highlights the importance of build environment and its development to the society. This triennial congress will focus on the intelligent processes, products and services of construction industry: How can research help to improve the contribution of constructed assets to digitalizing world and service needs? How will the research community meet emerging new needs of the users?
  48. International Scientific Adviser, The 10th ACEH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP AND EXPO ON SUSTAINABLE TSUNAMI DISASTER RECOVERY (AIWEST-DR 2016) on Sustainable Tsunami Disaster Recovery”. 15th – 17th November 2016. Organised by the Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) of Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia
  49. Visiting expert to provide guidance and on the Risk mapping methodology associated with NBRO’s Landslide Risk Assessment and Mapping initiative. National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) of Sri Lanka is the premier research and development institute established in 1984 has now grown into a successful technical service provider and research & development institution where experts from multiple disciplines have teamed up and dedicated to creating a disaster free built environment for the nation. Visited NBRO upon invitation of: Dr. Asiri Karunawardena, Director General of NBRO and Kishan Sugathapala, Director, Human Settlement Planning and Training of NBRO. 2016
  50. International Scientific Adviser, the 6th International Building Resilience Conference 2016 with the theme “Building Resilience to Address the Unexpected”, 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
  51. International Scientific Adviser. 10th Aceh International Workshop and Expo on Sustainable Tsunami Disaster Recovery. Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC), International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University (IRIDeS). Indonesia (Banda Aceh). 2016
  52. Expert input at the National Science Challenge Workshop on “Resilience to Nature’s Challenges”, that was held at the 6th International Building Resilience Conference 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand, from 7-9th of September 2016. The 2015-2019 research programme for Resilience to Nature’s Challenges, National Science Challenge (RNC) applies ~ $4.5 million/yr (including contestable research) toward ten programs, working toward the vision that: New Zealand is a nation of people who have transformed their lives, enterprises and communities to anticipate, adapt and thrive in the face of ever-changing nature’s challenges.
  53. Member of the Post-2015 DRR Framework Advisory Group. Invited by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), the Advisory Group provides guidance on substantive and process related matters to the SRSG on the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. The Advisory Group consists of distinguished representatives from the public and private sector, as well as international and non-governmental organizations. 2014 – 2015
  54. Partner, the 2015 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR15), launched on the 4th March 2015 by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Headquarters of the United Nations, New York. Global Assessment Report (GAR) provides a global assessment of disaster risk reduction and a comprehensive review and analysis of the natural hazards affecting humanity. The GAR aims to focus international attention on disaster risk and the need to manage and reduce it, and on the need to consolidate political and economic support to do so. It is produced in collaboration and consultation with many stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, governments, academic and research institutions, donors, and technical organisations and specialists. 2014 – 2015.
  55. Partner and lead contributor, Tsunami Risk Assessment and Mitigation for the Indian Ocean, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Manuals and Guides 52. This manual was developed by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWS) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)of UNESCO. 2015
  56. Invited by the European Commission to lead the Horizon 2020 launch for the South Asia region: “The Horizon 2020: Teaming up with EU for Research Excellence”. Horizon 2020 is the new financial programme of the European Union (EU) for research and innovation and acts as the successor to the current programme (FP7) which will run until the end of 2013. It has a budget of just over €70 billion for the period between 2014 and 2020. The new programme is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe. 2014
  57. Visiting Professor, UTM Razak School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor,
 2012 – 2014
  58. Partner, INTERNATIONAL OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Global Environmental Change Innovations and Challenges, Chennai, INDIA, organised by University of Madras, India, 21-24 February 2012
  59. Partner with the Ministry of Disaster Management Sri Lanka in the national launch of the Making Cities Resilient campaign in Sri Lanka. The International Conference on Building Resilience 2011 which I chaired was held in association with the UNISDR Making Cities Resilient Campaign. The Ministry of Disaster Management and the Disaster Management Centre led the national launch in partnership with Ministry of Local Government at the conference. The launch provided an appropriate backdrop for a policy, academic and practitioner audience to explore how they may support the campaign’s goal: to help cities and local governments to get ready, reduce the risks and become resilient to disasters. 2010
  60. Member, Emergency planning society, Education Standards Framework for Civil Protection, Cabinet Office, UK, 2010 – 2014
  61. Strategic Alliance with Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. 2009 – 2012
  62. UK partner and member of the International Institute for Infrastructure Renewal and Reconstruction (IIIRR). IIIRR is a multi-university international consortium, which provides overall leadership in research, education, planning, design and implementation for mitigation of the impact of natural disasters and infrastructure renewal and reconstruction projects in tsunami affected or underdeveloped regions. 2009- 2014
  63. Expert Adviser, establishing a Centre of excellences in Natural Disasters, The Ministry of higher education of Saudi Arabia. 2014
  64. Appointed International Faculty: “Transformation of University of Moratuwa to International Level”, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. This scheme is a fully Government funded scheme managed by Sri Lanka’s University Grants Commission, 2012 – 2015
  65. International Advisor, Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka. As the accredited representative of the Domestic Construction Industry, founded by all Institutes and Associations of Construction Professionals and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka, it has consultative status with the Government of Sri Lanka and with the Ministry of Construction & Engineering Services, the Ministry of Export Development & International Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others. There are 11 Institutional Members and In addition over three hundred corporate and statutory members represent the construction industry in this Chamber. CCI is positioned as the “Main Voice” on issues affecting the Construction Industry and is committed to protecting and promoting the construction industry.2008-2012
  66. Task Force member (Education input), Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. President of Sri Lanka initiative. 2009 – 2015
  67. CIB Ambassador – Future leader/coordinator work programme with central and visible role within the CIB –November 2009
  68. Global Coordinator of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB – Conseil International du Bâtiment) Task Group 53 on Postgraduate Research Training in Building and Construction. International Council for Building (CIB) was established in 1953 as an Association whose objectives were to stimulate and facilitate international cooperation and information exchange between governmental research institutes in the building and construction sector, with an emphasis on those institutes engaged in technical fields of research. CIB has since developed into a world-wide network of over 5000 experts from about 500 member organisations active in the research community, in industry or in education, who cooperate and exchange information in over 50 CIB Commissions covering all fields in building and construction related research and innovation. 2003-2010
  69. International expert academic committee member, Disaster Management Bill – Sri Lanka. Ministry of Disaster management and human rights, Sri Lanka. A President of Sri Lanka initiative. 2008 – 2014
  70. University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka International panel of experts. In 2012, I was appointed as a member of the strategic advisory board of University of Moratuwa “Transformation of University of Moratuwa to International Level” strategy. Sri Lanka’s Higher Education Ministry launch of a special programme to upgrade six local universities, allocating some US$6 million to improving teaching, research and infrastructure to ‘international’ levels.
  71. Committee member, Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA), HEFCE Disaster Management initiative, Save the Children, 2008 – 2014
  72. UNHABITAT working group on disaster management in developing countries. 2008
  73. Steering Committee member – UK HE disaster relief project, 2008
  74. Parliamentary and Scientific committee on “How can the Science help to prevent natural disasters becoming economic and human catastrophes? 2008
  75. Project Manager, CIB Proactive theme on Disaster Management, 2008
  76. World Bank Researchers Alliances for Development (RAD). 2006 – 2010
  77. Invited member (1 of 7 members). Research Councils UK Postgraduate Strategic Policy Forum. 2006 – 2007
  78. Member of the Research Councils Strategic Forum for Postgraduate Researchers. 2005 – 2007
  79. A steering committee member of the UK Higher Education Disaster Relief project and a committee member of Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA), Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Disaster Management initiative, UK. 2005 – 2008
  80. Global Co-ordinator of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Task Group 53 – Postgraduate Training in Building and Construction. 2003 to 2010
  81. CIB Student Chapters. Academic Adviser influencing international postgraduate researcher community within the field. 2002 to 2007
  82. University of Salford representative to Construction Industry Council (CIC). 2003 – 2014
  83. Member of the Strategic Review Panel. NHS Estates. 2001 – 2002

Current external responsibilities

  • Steering committee member of the UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR). UKADR seeks to foster innovative interdisciplinary research, as well as professional applied research structures to be able to predict or respond to slow and rapid onset hazards with relevant scientific advice.
  • Appointed member of the MCR2030 Regional Coordination Committee for Europe, UNDRR Regional Office for Europe would like to invite you to join. Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) is an initiative led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its partners to support cities in taking action to reduce disaster risk in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Launched in October 2020 and operational in January 2021, MCR2030 emerges from a decade long of advocacy and capacity building work that reached more than 4,000 cities across the globe within the network of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign. Through its Regional Coordination Committee (RCC-Europe), MCR2030 brings together key regional partners and selected city representatives, responsible for coordinating and ensuring synergies among regional partners in providing technical support to cities to empower them to progress along with the resilience roadmap.
  • Invited member of the UNDRR GRAF working group (Global Risk Assessment Framework Working Group on Risk Communication). 2020 –
  • Expert member, ICG/IOTWMS WG-1 on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness & Preparedness. IOC-UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS). The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system. Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) Member List including all Indian Ocean surrounding 28 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Djibouti, France – Reunion, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 2018-
  • Formally appointed international expert of IOC UNESCO ICG/IOTWMS inter-sessional Task Team on “Tsunami Preparedness for a Near-Field Tsunami Hazard”. The Task Team will work towards enhancing Tsunami preparedness for near-field tsunami hazard including improving end-to-end national warning chains learning from the recent tsunami events. The Task Team will report to the Steering Group and be composed of representatives from WG-1, WG-2, WG-NWIO, IOTIC, interested Member States and international experts with a Chair and Vice-Chair. 2018 –
  • An international expert on “A Regional Assessment of DRM Institutions in the South Asia Region” with Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, a partnership with Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC). We will engage with key stakeholders in each country as well as regional stakeholders such as UN agencies, civil society organisations, and bilateral and multilateral development partners. This is a World Bank initiative. 2019 –to date
  • Appointed as a Steering Committee Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering with specific input to the frontiers of Development programme, from April 2019, which is a programme across the Royal Academy of Engineering, The Academy of Medical Sciences, The British Academy and The Royal Society. It is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund that supports cutting-edge research to address the challenges faced by developing countries.
  • Member of the European Commission’s European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG), Joint Research Center (JRC) and UNISDR. The principal goal of the European Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (E-STAG) is to provide scientific and technical support to the 56 European and Central Asian countries for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR, and other DRR related relevant frameworks or policies in the EU.
  • A member of the Advisory Board of the Federation of Local Governments Authorities Sri Lanka (FSLGA) for the period 2018-2022 new term of the local council, to ensure strategic direction and guidance needed ahead. The Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities (FSLGA) is the umbrella organisation for all 346 local government associations in Sri Lanka.
  • Member of the Advisory Committee of the Association of Disaster Risk Management Professionals (ADRiMP) of Sri Lanka. The ADRiMP will work towards nurturing a culture of safety in Sri Lanka from the impact of disasters and climate change and will provide policy advice and facilitate capacity building services including strategic learning, research, training, system development, expertise promotion and exchange of information for effective DRR
  • Joint Editor in Chief, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment. Published by Emerald Publishing, UK. The journal, indexed in SCOPUS and ISI Web of Science™Core Collection, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and published by Emerald Publishing, UK, is the only journal in the field to promote research and scholarly activity that examines the role of building and construction to anticipate and respond to disasters that damage or destroy the built environment (http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/ijdrbe.htm)
  • Global Working Group Co-Leader. Words into action – leading UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Words into Action Guidelines on Accountability within the context of disaster risk governance
  • Global Working Group Leader, Words into action – leading UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Words into Action Guidelines on Construction Practice and Policy.
  • Board of Advisors, Article 25.  Article 25 is an architecture charity based in London.
  • Visiting Professor, UTM Razak School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia.
  • International Expert, Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka

Welcome to the website of Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga!

X