Optimising community participation in post-disaster crisis response: evidence from the “Ditwah” cyclone, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Community participation is an important component of effective disaster response and recovery. However, understanding the behavioural drivers that motivate individuals to participate in community-based disaster response, as well as the challenges and constraints influencing such participation, remains limited, particularly in developing country contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining community participation that emerged following the 2025 Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka by methodologically applying the theory of Planned Behaviour for understanding community participation in post-disaster recovery in developing-country settings. The research adopts a single embedded case study approach. Data were collected through document review and five semi-structured interviews with key initiators and volunteers involved in two major initiatives: a community kitchen programme and a digital rescue coordination platform. Findings were manually analysed and reveal that social, cultural, emotional, and contextual drivers strongly motivate community participation. Digital platforms also played a critical role in enabling rapid coordination and information sharing during the crisis. However, challenges such as resource constraints, misinformation, and operational difficulties in managing volunteer networks must be addressed to optimize community Participation in future disaster response initiatives.