Undergraduate Conference on Disaster Management 2026

Sri Lanka faces an increasing range of natural hazards, including floods, landslides, droughts, cyclones, and coastal erosion. These hazards disrupt livelihoods, undermine socio-economic stability, exacerbate poverty, and place significant long-term burdens on national development. Climate change has further intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, increasing the country’s vulnerability and complicating disaster management efforts.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has therefore emerged as a critical national priority, in alignment with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Effective disaster management requires strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing community resilience, promoting social equity, and integrating risk reduction strategies into broader development planning.

Empowering citizens, fostering participatory governance, and ensuring equitable access to resources and services are essential for building resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods. Engaging youth in disaster preparedness and risk management initiatives is particularly crucial, as it cultivates a generation capable of contributing innovative, evidence-based, and context-sensitive solutions.

Undergraduate students, as emerging scholars and practitioners, have a unique role in shaping research-driven, community-oriented approaches to disaster risk reduction. This conference seeks to provide an academic platform for students to present research, exchange ideas, and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, thereby supporting national strategies for resilience and sustainable development.