Dilanthi considers herself as a leading thinker/researcher with a commitment to improve the quality of life and livelihoods of low-income groups living in the global south in particular, through her knowledge about disaster risks, and climate change, development and their inter-relationships. What would it be like to live in a world in that government authorities, businesses, communities, and individuals work together to create a society that can withstand the effects of unforeseen events and threats? Her academic activities are linked by a commitment to make this happen through my knowledge, initiatives and interventions on disaster risks, climate change and its adaptation, sustainable development, and their inter-relationships.  Over the past 23 years, her research has contributed to these broad areas and integrates an understanding of disaster risk and climate change adaptation into development needs, their governance, and recently, public health. Her key research areas include: 

• Early warning systems in preventing/minimising the loses due to hazards, natural, climate induced and biological, and planning the most appropriate actions
• Understanding disaster and climate  risks – Disaster Risk Reduction
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Disasters as a socially-constructed phenomenon
• Risks  governance and accountability
• Cities, urbanisation and disasters
• Integrating public health  preparedness into development processes
• Disaster resilience from the perspective of the social/political, economic and physical sciences
• DRR and sustainable development