Abstract:
In the last few decades, infrastructure has played a major role in supporting modern
society. Moreover, there has been an increase in natural and human-induced disasters
worldwide. In these situations, securing infrastructure is a major requirement.
Confusion and misinformation can result if the boundaries of what constitutes critical
infrastructure for a country are not clearly defined. Identification of critical
infrastructure is the first step in the process of securing and protecting the available
critical assets. This study aims to establish the infrastructure that can be classified as
"critical infrastructure" in Sri Lanka. This includes establishing a clear margin for
subsectors that fall within and operate within critical infrastructure and, consequently,
ascertaining a clear definition for the critical infrastructure of the nation.
This study adopted a mixed-method approach, which included an initial comprehensive
literature analysis on infrastructure and the parameters involved in determining the
criticality of infrastructure. Secondly, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews
were conducted to determine which infrastructure sectors would be most critical to Sri
Lanka. The most significant infrastructures with the parameters of national security,
economic sustainability, quality of life, public health, and safety, the criticality of
infrastructure were ranked in both pre- and post-disaster scenarios, and an appropriate
margin for the Sri Lankan critical infrastructure was demonstrated. The emergency
services sector was found to have the most significant infrastructure in both pre- and
post-disaster situations. Accordingly, the study reveals emergency services, water,
energy, transportation, telecommunication, and finance as the critical infrastructures
for Sri Lanka.
