Undergraduate Conference on Disaster Management – 2026.07.23

The Undergraduate Conference on Disaster Management – 2026, organized by the National Institute of Social Development (NISD), was successfully held on 23 July 2026 at the National Institute of Social Development, Liyanagemulla, Seeduwa. The conference brought together academics, researchers, practitioners, and students to share knowledge, research findings, and practical insights on disaster management.

The conference was graced by Chief Guest Senior Professor Premakumara, Director General of NISD; Keynote Speaker Senior Professor O.G. Dayarathna Banda, Director General of the National Institute of Education and Professor of Economics and Statistics, University of Peradeniya; Ms. Gawry Vasudevan, Additional Director General (Academic); all Directors; academic and non-academic staff; and distinguished scholars.

A total of 47 research papers, 18 in Sinhala, 16 in Tamil, and 13 in English were presented by researchers from NISD and the Universities of Peradeniya, Colombo, Kelaniya, and Ruhuna. The presentations were conducted across six technical sessions covering Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Systems; Post-Disaster Recovery, Resilience, Livelihoods and Social Protection; Health, Psychosocial Well-being, Social Work and Vulnerable Populations; Education, Youth Development, Technology and Community Development; Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Resilience (Tamil); and Disaster Recovery, Livelihoods, Health, Social Protection and Socio-economic Well-being (Tamil). The conference was successfully completed, providing a valuable platform for undergraduate researchers to present their work, exchange knowledge, strengthen academic collaboration, and contribute to the advancement of disaster management and community resilience in Sri Lanka.