The Quiet Pulse: Sri Lanka’s Heartbeat of Preparedness
In the gentle hum of Colombo’s Courtyard by Marriott, where glass and sky meet in serene dialogue, a different kind of map was drawn on June 16 — one not of roads or rivers, but of readiness. The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2023–2030 came to life, not with fanfare, but with a sense of quiet urgency, as Sri Lanka gathered its thinkers, defenders, and dreamers to script a future fortified by foresight.
Led by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under the Ministry of Defence, this sensitization workshop became more than a procedural event — it transformed into a crucible where knowledge, leadership, and collaboration melted into a single alloy of resolve. With voices from across the national and international spectrum — military commanders, diplomats, NGOs, and private sector changemakers — the day pulsed with shared responsibility.
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) stood as the morning’s compass, his keynote address a clarion call to rethink disaster not as an ending, but as a beginning. Calling the NDMP “a blueprint for survival and prosperity,” he challenged the nation to replace fear with preparation, and fragility with transformation.
From the opening remarks of Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda (Retd) to the global insights of Ms. Anita Hirsch from the World Food Programme, each voice added a layer to this unfolding cartography. Detailed sessions mapped operational strategies and monitoring pathways, while group discussions gave flesh to the skeleton — forging action plans, defining timelines, and building bridges between unlikely allies.
The closing words, offered by Mr. Chathura Liyanaarachchige and Ms. Udya Abeysinghe, were less of a farewell and more of a soft oath — a quiet affirmation of a nation’s commitment to resilience. In the presence of naval leaders, senior officials, and humanitarian partners, Sri Lanka didn’t just plan for disaster — it positioned itself to meet it with dignity, unity, and steady will.
In that room, surrounded by the hum of intention and the soft murmur of minds at work, a truth was charted: resilience is not a response, but a responsibility — and Sri Lanka is ready to bear it.
