Sri Lanka, an island country in the northern Indian Ocean, is susceptible to multiple natural hazards, including cyclones, drought, floods, landslides, and tsunamis. Sri Lanka also continues to recover from a decades-long civil war, which left hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes.

Building on decades of partnership, USAID supports disaster risk reduction initiatives in Sri Lanka to improve the effectiveness of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community organizers to mitigate disaster risks, strengthen disaster preparedness, and respond to humanitarian emergencies. Additionally, USAID engages directly with communities to improve access to safe drinking water and provide psychosocial services.

Mission Activities

SAFE, DISASTER RESILIENT DRINKING WATER TO FLOOD AND DROUGHT PRONE AREAS: Through this activity, USAID supports local organizations to provide clean drinking water and improve community resilience to changing climate conditions. This practical disaster resilient system for harvesting  rainwater supports communities that regularly experience floods and droughts to recover quickly.  Implementing Partner: Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum; Total Estimated Cost: $2.2 million; Performance Period:  October 2016 - March 2025 

Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Activities

USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) provided more than $3.6 million in Fiscal Years (FYs) 2020 and 2021 to support early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) initiatives in Sri Lanka to improve the capacity of community organizers, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to prepare for and respond to humanitarian emergencies in the country. See here for more information.