The Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a new project with the Government of Sri Lanka on June 10 to rebuild communities devastated by Cyclone Ditwah, committing 208 million Japanese Yen (approximately US$ 1.33 million) under the “Build Back Better” framework.
The agreement was signed by Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata and UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota, in the presence of S. Alokabandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. The initiative — formally titled the “Project for Disaster Waste Clearance and Rehabilitation of Community Facilities through Participatory Approach in Communities Affected by the Cyclone” — will be implemented primarily in the Central Province, focusing on Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts.
The project combines two operational pillars. The first is collection and management of disaster-related waste, including recyclable and light debris, through the use of electric three-wheelers. The second is rehabilitation of multi-purpose community facilities that deliver healthcare, education, childcare and social support services. Approximately 228,500 people are expected to benefit directly, with a further 700,000 reached indirectly through improved services and stronger waste-management systems.
“A whole-of-nation approach, involving all sectors of society, is essential to effective disaster risk reduction and management,” Ambassador Isomata said. “By encouraging local communities to participate in the implementation of the project in such a way to empower themselves, we can strengthen social cohesion and enhance resilience to disaster.” UNDP’s Kubota added that recovery “is not merely about rebuilding what was lost. Rather, it is about building forward better.”
The project lands alongside a separate Japanese commitment of 6 refrigerated trucks to the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation and 200 million yen to strengthen Sri Lanka’s cold chain, EconomyNext reported, citing the same signing ceremony.
The launch comes the same week that the United Nations formally wrapped up its broader emergency Humanitarian Priorities Plan after reaching 575,000 people across 25 districts, marking the transition from emergency relief to medium-term recovery. The Central Province target areas overlap with the districts where Australia and the FAO have backed vegetable-farmer recovery and where the government’s resettlement push for displaced families is concentrated.
