National Building Research Organisation

Landslide Studies & Servicess Division

Mr   R.M.S Bandara
Head, Landslide Studies & Services Division

The Landslide Hazard Mapping Project, which was initiated in 1990 in NBRO under the direct financial assistance of UNDP, was later transformed as Landslide Studies and Services Division (LSSD) in 1992.  At the inception of LSSD, the government had agreed to provide necessary funding and the UNDP assistance also continued until 1994. Even though, these funding arrangements were pruned later, through many hardships and team spirit of the staff, the division has been able to achieve a national level recognition for NBRO in the field of landslide hazard identification and mitigation in Sri Lanka.

The LSSD is responsive to following long-term and short-term disaster management needs in the country.

1 Landslide hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment in the mountainous region of the country through on site investigations and hazard mapping.

Creating awareness among all levels of communities living in the landslide prone areas through awareness programmes for educating and encouraging them for appropriate land use practices.

2 Detailed evaluation of slope stability and provide guidelines for economical mitigation of the hazard.

3 Mitigating landslide prone slopes to prevent future disasters.

4 Landslide early warning and establishment of a mechanism for real time forecasting on landslide threat.

5 Performing research on improving the landslide evaluation methodology, low cost mitigation methods and landslide forecasting.