Inclusivity of marginalised communities during the post-disaster phase in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Marginalised communities are often overlooked during post-disaster management despite the adoption of resilience and inclusion ideals by the international community. The existing community protection system is too limited and needs to better serve the real needs of marginalised communities in post-disaster situations in Sri Lanka. There is limited literature on the participation of marginalised communities during the post-disaster phase, and policies need to be reviewed to ensure they benefit such communities. Therefore, this research aimed to enhance the inclusivity of marginalised communities during the post-disaster phase in Sri Lanka. This research took an interpretivist philosophical position and used the abductive approach for theory development. The chosen methodology was a mixed methods approach with a predominant qualitative focus. Literature review, structured interviews, desk study, stakeholder interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and expert validation interviews were used to collect data. Data analysis techniques included literature synthesis, relative importance index, stakeholder analysis, thematic analysis, and code-based content analysis. The research findings showed that greater inclusivity, transparency, and support could be achieved by considering the priorities highlighted by marginalised communities in the face of post-disaster challenges. The stakeholder analysis revealed a lack of clearly defined responsibilities among most key stakeholders. There is also a shortage of collaboration among the key stakeholders. While policies do exist in Sri Lanka that address the needs of marginalised communities in disaster management to some extent, gaps in policy implementation, formulation, and a lack of stakeholder awareness of the policies exclude these communities from post- disaster situations. Therefore, a framework was developed that includes eight strategic goals, each with short-term, medium-term, and long-term target activities, to address the issues identified in the research. Prioritising and equally addressing all strategic goals is recommended to provide holistic support throughout the post- disaster phases. The developed framework can significantly impact disaster management professionals, policymakers, and governments worldwide, promoting equity and social justice in disaster management and beyond.