Combining Local and Scientific Knowledge and Actions in Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Sri Lanka
Despite its growing recognition, community participation in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction remains insufficient. Dominant approaches based on Western scientific knowledge often overlook local people’s knowledge, skills, capacities, and right to participate in ecosystem-disaster risk reduction. This can lead to a lack of community trust in ecosystem-based DRR, resulting in poor and unsustainable disaster risk reduction outcomes. This thesis aims to investigate how the integration of local knowledge and actions with Western scientific knowledge can strengthen the implementation and long-term viability of Ecosystem-based DRR in Sri Lanka. The research was conducted in two phases using a qualitative framework informed by social constructivism. The first phase involved key informant interviews with practitioners from DRR and related fields to gather insights on the implementation of ecosystem-based DRR, as well as the combination of local and scientific knowledge and actions. The second phase focused on local people’s perceptions, knowledge, and actions in ecosystem-based DRR, focusing on two case studies capturing both rural and urban areas. The first case study was conducted in urban Kolonnawa, a Divisional Secretariat Division, a suburb of Colombo, the capital city, to assess urban residents' views and engagement in community initiatives. The second case study was conducted in Rathnapura Divisional Secretariat Division, a mountain township some 70km east of Colombo, targeting two rural areas to explore rural inhabitants' perceptions and participation in community efforts related to ecosystem-based DRR. The study findings show that practitioners and urban and rural communities understand ecosystems' role in hazard mitigation but can lack awareness of how ecosystems can alleviate socioeconomic and cultural vulnerabilities. The research indicates that practitioners and communities in urban and rural areas clearly understand the link between ecosystem degradation and increased disaster risks. However, this awareness is tempered by socioeconomic, cultural, and political factors that compel communities to prioritize survival over long-term sustainability and contribute to ecological degradation, exacerbating disaster risk. Findings also indicate that local perspectives on the ecosystems that reduce disaster risks are contextual, with observable differences across environments. The study further identifies that local people and practitioners recognize the importance of community involvement in ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition, the study finds that local people’s readiness to participate in ecosystem-based DRR is a strength for establishing community-led approaches to ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction. This research recognizes the dominance of Western scientific knowledge in DRR strategies, the existing top-down decision-making processes, and inefficiencies in current DRR policies as challenges to implementing ecosystem-based DRR in the study area and Sri Lanka. The study emphasises ecosystem-based approaches as a successful approach to reduce disaster risks in Kolonnawa and Rathnapura, as well as in Sri Lanka and globally. However, it is essential to enhance communities’ and practitioners’ awareness of the importance of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in reducing socio-economic vulnerabilities. This enhanced awareness and acknowledgement would benefit people in areas where poverty and unemployment are prevalent and could significantly contribute not only to mitigating hazards but also to addressing socio-economic issues. To obtain the best of ecosystem-based DRR, it is essential to ensure that these initiatives are contextually relevant. To establish the contextuality of ecosystem-based DRR, it is imperative to enhance community participation in knowledge sharing, governance, data, and information sharing. To ensure community participation, national, regional, and international ecosystem-based DRR policy frameworks should recognize and integrate local knowledge and actions.
Lansakara Ul Arachchige, Damithri Chathumani Jayasekara
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