🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| Police emergency |
119 (also 118) |
| Ambulance / Fire & Rescue |
110 |
| 1990 Suwa Seriya — free national ambulance |
1990 |
| Disaster emergency hotline (DMC) |
117 |
| Government Information Centre |
1919 |
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In Sri Lanka |
| National agency |
DMC (Disaster Management Centre) — dmc.gov.lk; executing agency established under the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005 |
| Governing authority |
National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM), chaired at national level; the DMC operates under the Ministry in charge of disaster management |
| National response framework |
National Disaster Management Plan and National Emergency Operation Plan prepared by the DMC |
| Territorial crisis authority |
District Disaster Management Coordinating Units (DDMCU) in all 25 districts; committees down to Divisional and Grama Niladhari level |
| Landslide authority |
NBRO (National Building Research Organisation) — nbro.gov.lk; national focal point for landslide hazard zonation and landslide early warning |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| DMC 117 hotline & Emergency Operations Centre |
24/7 call centre + warning dissemination to districts and communities |
117 |
| Department of Meteorology |
National Meteorological and Tsunami Early Warning Centre — cyclone, heavy rain, lightning, high wind and tsunami warnings |
meteo.gov.lk |
| Tsunami early warning towers |
Coastal warning-tower network activated by the DMC; connected to the Indian Ocean tsunami warning network |
Automatic (sirens) |
| Cell broadcast / SMS alerts |
Mass alerts via mobile operators (system upgraded from 2023) |
Automatic |
| NBRO landslide early warning |
Regional rainfall-threshold warnings (watch / alert / evacuation) for landslide-prone districts |
nbro.gov.lk |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) |
Emergency response, evacuations, first aid, safe water, hygiene kits, family reunification — covers all 25 districts |
| Tri-Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) |
Search & rescue, evacuation, relief logistics under DMC coordination |
| District Secretariat / District Disaster Management Coordinating Unit |
The club's institutional contact at district level |
| IFRC / ICRC & UN agencies |
International coordination and emergency appeals during major disasters |
| Faith-based & community organisations |
Shelter, meals, distribution at local level |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Flood / flash flood |
Southwest districts (Ratnapura, Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Galle, Kegalle) in SW monsoon; eastern districts in NE monsoon |
Card B2 |
| Landslide |
Central hill country (Ratnapura, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Kandy) |
Card A4 |
| Cyclone / tropical storm |
Northern and eastern coasts, Bay of Bengal systems (e.g. Cyclone Ditwah, 2025) |
Card B1 |
| Drought |
Dry zone (North, North-Central, Eastern; e.g. Kurunegala) |
Card C1 |
| Tsunami |
All coastal belt (Indian Ocean; catastrophic 2004 event) |
Card A2 |
| Strong winds / windstorm |
Islandwide — the most frequently reported hazard |
Card B1 |
| Heat wave |
Dry-zone lowlands |
Card B4 |
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
Sri Lankan equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
DMC (Disaster Management Centre) + NCDM |
| National response plan |
National Disaster Management Plan / National Emergency Operation Plan |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
1990 Suwa Seriya (free national ambulance) + hospital accident services |
| Territorial state authority |
District Secretariat / DDMCU |
| National meteorological / tsunami warning centre |
Department of Meteorology (meteo.gov.lk) |
| Landslide early-warning authority |
NBRO (National Building Research Organisation) |
| National Red Cross society |
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) |
Donation tax rules: in Sri Lanka, only institutions formally recognised by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) as approved charities may issue tax-deductible donation receipts, and deductions are subject to statutory limits. Confirm the tax status of the receiving body with the IRD before promising donors any deduction — to be confirmed locally for your specific Rotary or ShelterBox channel.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox contact |
____ |
| National coordination body (DMC district unit) |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: Sri Lanka Police (police.lk), Sri Lanka Tourism official emergency services (srilanka.travel), Disaster Management Centre (dmc.gov.lk), Department of Meteorology (meteo.gov.lk), National Building Research Organisation (nbro.gov.lk), 1990 Suwa Seriya (1990.lk), Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (redcross.lk), Inland Revenue Department (ird.gov.lk). Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com