Understanding Socio Cultural Dimensions in Disaster Response and Recovery | Prof Kulathunga

The success of disaster recovery is not determined only by the physical safety of rebuilt environments, but also by how well recovery processes respond to the cultural, social, and psychosocial realities of affected communities. While relocation policies, evacuation systems, and reconstruction programs are often designed from a technical and risk-reduction perspective, communities continue to make decisions based on attachment to place, livelihoods, social networks, identity, and everyday cultural practices. Ignoring these dimensions can unintentionally create new vulnerabilities and, in some cases, encourage communities to return to high-risk areas. Experiences from Sri Lanka, demonstrate how recovery interventions that overlook socio-cultural realities can disrupt livelihoods, weaken community networks, and challenge long-term resilience. These experiences also reveal the importance of culturally sensitive evacuation systems, community participation in decision-making, and home-owner driven reconstruction approaches that provide greater ownership and flexibility for affected populations. This presentation highlights the need to integrate cultural understanding into disaster response, resettlement, and recovery policies in order to support more inclusive, resilient, and socially sustainable built environments. Speaker: Professor Udayangani Kulatunga Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka