亚洲情色

In 2024/2025, I was ranked 1^st in the UK as a Highly Ranked Scholar™  and 5^th globally in the field of the Built Environment  by the 2024 ScholarGPS Global Rankings. Since 2020, I have been among the Top 2% of the global influential scientists, by Elsevier BV, Netherlands and Stanford University, USA. In  2024, I was identified as a “ Distinguished Woman Researcher” by the CIB.  My research is characterised by world-leading impact, quality, and influence on global disaster/climate resilience policy. I have sustained impact with over , one of the highest in the built environment field.  This ranking reflects not just a vast output, including 174 journal articles and 13 books, but also leading expertise in the discipline. I have been identified as one of the six “top-flight scientists and technologists of global repute” of Sri Lankan origin by the Sri Lanka National Science Foundation (NSF), the premier national institution in Sri Lanka.

I have been one of the pioneers in promoting disaster resilience of Built Environment. I’ve published widely on mainstreaming disaster resilience for a more resilient built environment. I promote resilience of the built environment as a key ingredient of sustainable development and in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.My research also explores climate impacts on the built environment and what we need to do as a commu nity of scholars so that built environments are more resilient to climate impacts when they are designed to work with natural environmental systems.  My work on post-disaster reconstruction looks at the delivery of physical assets after disasters strike with a particular interest in how equitable this is, and the actors in this process.  Another area that I research is the built environment perspective on post-disaster and conflict-induced displacements. The pace at which people are being displaced due to disasters and conflict situations is a major challenge in many regions around the world.  Needs of displaced communities have been identified, and various  assets were recognised to integrate the built environment into displacement contexts to enhance social cohesion. I have also researched   to better understand the relationship between physical infrastructure reconstruction programmes and social cohesion among conflict-affected communities, and to enhance the capacity of local stakeholders to deliver conflict-sensitive infrastructure reconstruction programmes, which is vital in light of the increasing number of conflicts we face.

As the founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment (established in 2009), the first peer-reviewed journal to address the gap in theoretical research linking disasters to the built environment, I shaped foundational interpretations of how the built environment influences decision-making across disaster preparation and response.

A substantial part of my work has been at the interface between research and policymaking, translating knowledge into actionable objectives and communicating scientific knowledge to policymakers, practitioners and the public. I have a strong track record of translating research into impact through publication and advisory work and through engaging with policy, public service leaders and practice. I have been a preferred lead author by governments, NGOs and  other hazard practitioner communities in developing practice outputs incorporating significant research.

Current research activity

• Reframing Built Environment for Climate Extremes
• Framework to assess Readiness for Resilient and Inclusive Recovery project funded by UNDRR
• CORE(sCience & human factOr for Resilient sociEty) - to develop a harmonised vision of crisis management to help restructure and rebuild socio-economic structures after a disaster
• 20 years after - then and now. An explorative study of the status of communities relocated in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Sri Lanka
• INCLUDE - Disability inclusive higher education for DRR in Indonesia, aimed at strengthening disability inclusion in DRR by promoting equal access and opportunity for learners with disabilities
• International Network "Connect4Resilience" - Disaster Research, Climate Crisis & Social Work
• Establish and support the growth of a Research Institute on Resilient Societies
• Raising awareness and understanding of nature-inspired solutions (NIS) for DRR (DRR)
• Mimicking the natural hydrological processes using green and blue infrastructure to enhance flood resilience within the existing urban environment
• An investigation of the applicability of biomimicry concepts in social enterprises’ resilience
• TREMS - Industrial transformation research hub research network for the transformation of reclaimed waste resources to engineered materials and solutions

Successfully completed projects (since 2021)

• BEACON (Built Environment leArning for Climate adaptation). Aimed aimed to develop trans-disciplinary and innovative research-based learning in the built environment to tackle climate change in coastal regions
• Strengthening University-Enterprise Collaboration for Resilient Communities in Asia (SECRA)
• Embedding COVID-19 preparedness into local DRR
• Research Training Network on Tackling Climate Change as an Underlying Disaster Risk Driver (CCA-DRR)
• Integrating pandemic preparedness and DRR to protect economic assets and people in the 'new normal' for the Greater Bandung Metropolitan area of Indonesia
• Community engagement on public health emergencies in the context of multi-hazards in Sri Lanka
• An exploratory study into nature-inspired solutions for DRR in coastal regions
• Newton Prize project - Developing and harmonising local capacities for tsunami early warning
• Improving COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness and response through the downstream of multi-hazard early warning systems
• Integrating pandemic, tsunami and other multi-hazard preparedness into early warning and urban planning
• Mitigating hydro-meteorological hazard impacts through transboundary river management in the Ciliwong River basin
• CRESCENDO (Community Resilience Engaging Society, Culture, and ENvironment against Disaster Outcomes)
• Enhancing resilience of critical road infrastructure: bridges, culverts and floodways
• Life two years after relocation: Status quo of natural hazard induced displacements and resettlements

• Amaratunga, D. & Kodituwaaku, L. (2026 ). Cyclone Ditwah: What next for Sri Lanka beyond the storm? Progress in Disaster Science .Available online 14 January 2026, 100518
• Senevirathne, M., Amaratunga, D. & Haihg, R. (2026). Reimagining resilience for systemic risks: enhancing community preparedness through counterfactual thinking of past disaster impacts”. Progress in Disaster Science journal, a Q1 journal.
• Nissnaka, S., Amaratunga, D. & Haigh, R. (2026). Classifying and aligning financial incentives for disaster-resilient housing: a framework from Sri Lanka. Frontiers in Built Environment, Sustainable Design and Construction.  Volume 12 - 2026 | 
• Amaratunga, D., Malalgoda, C.,  Nissanka, S., Ranaweera, N., Senanayake, A.  & Senanayake, M. (2026). Sustainable Cities and Communities: Making Sri Lankan cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Sri Lanka
• Malalgoda, C., Amaratunga, D., Haigh, R., Nissanka, S., Fernando, N., Paul Borg, R. & Hamza, M. (Ed.) (2025), Climate Change Adaptation in the Built Environment - Transdisciplinary and Innovative Learning, Springer Nature.
• Pattiaratchi, C., Amaratunga, D. & Senaratne, R., (eds) (2024), Tsunami Science in Sri Lanka,University of Western Australia, Australia: ISBN 978-0-646-87928-4
• Hemachandra, K., Amaratunga, D. & Haigh, R. A Comprehensive Framework for Empowering Women in Disaster Risk Governance in Sri Lanka. (2025). International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. i 16,768–780 (2025).
• Hamza, M., Amaratunga, D., Haigh, R., Malalgoda, C.,Jayakody, C., & Senanayake, A. (Eds.) (2023). Rebuilding Communities After Displacement: Sustainable and Resilience Approaches. Springer Nature.
• Amaratunga, D., Haigh, R. & Dias, N. (Ed.) (2021), Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risks; Springer , eBook ISBN 978-3-030-73003-1
• Senaratne, R., Amaratunga, D., Mendis, S. & Athukorala, P. (eds) (2021), COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience “From Adversity to Serendipity”, Perspectives of global relevance based on research, experience and successes in combating COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, Vol. 1, National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka: ISBN 978-624-5896-00-4

I demonstrate an exceptional contribution to postgraduate studies through innovative leadership and PhD supervision. My research supervision vision focuses on leading international, multidisciplinary postgraduate studies in disaster science that address real-world challenges. Having successfully supervised 72 PhD students to completion, I was recognised as the Best PhD Supervisor of the Year in 2022 and 2023 at the School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield.

Teaching activities

• Water Resources, Sustainability and Climate Change
• Climate Change and the Sustainable Built Environment
• Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation
• Supervision of undergraduate research projects focused on built envrionemnt and disaster resilience
• Supervision of MSc dissertations and postgraduate research projects aligned with disaster risk reduction and preparendness practice

My track record combines world-class research impact with distinguished academic leadership. Recognized internationally, I am ranked #1 in the UK and #5 globally for the Built Environment by ScholarGPS (2024), listed in the Stanford University/Elsevier top 2% of global scientists since 2020, and cited by the NSF as a "top-flight scientist." Beyond research metrics, I am committed to inclusive academic excellence, having been named one of the UK's 50 Leading Lights for Kindness & Leadership (2023) and honored as a "Distinguished Woman Researcher" by CIB (2024).

I have a sustained record of securing and leading large-scale interdisciplinary research. Since 2014, I have won 34 research grants totaling over £30 million from 20 funding bodies—including UKRI, the European Commission, and UK Aid/ODA. Leveraging a core strength in cross-sector and cross-border partnership, I have collaborated with 288 international partners across 57 countries to deliver world-leading, rigorous research.

Operating at the vital intersection of research, policy, and practice, I translate rigorous scholarship into influential publications commissioned by lead UN agencies. My international reputation is reflected in frequent keynote invitations, high-level panel leadership, and strategic advisory appointments for national governments and global bodies, including the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), IOC-UNESCO, and the European Commission. I am a member of the UNDRR’s European Science & Technology Advisory Group representing the UK, Member of the UNDRR Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) Committee, was elected as an expert member of the  UN Women’s, “Women’s Resilience to Disasters programme”, and since 2018, I have been an appointed expert on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness & Preparedness of the  IOC-UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS).

Professional affiliations

2020     Fellow & Chartered Manager, Chartered Management Institute, UK

2020     Fellow - Royal Geographical Society, UK

2016     Fellow - The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK

2008      Member - The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK

2007     Fellow – The Higher Education Academy, UK (Advance HE)

2003     Member – The Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Awards and Honours

• “Hope She Holds: Resilience She Builds”. One of five women chosen to celebrate Women’s Leadership in Climate Resilience and Sustainable Change (2026)
• Professor appointment at Keio University, Japan (2026 -)
• UNDRR selected my research on women’s leadership and participation in disaster governance as the cornerstone key message for the 2026 International Women’s Day, 8th March 2026
• Professor Appointment. SLIIT, Sri Lanka (2026 -)
• Ranked 1^st in the UK as a Highly Ranked Scholar in the field of the Built Environment and 5^th globally, by ScholarGPS Global Rankings (2024-)
• Global Top 2% Scientist:Recognized for career-long research impact and citation excellence by Stanford University and Elsevier BV (2021 - )
• 2024 Finalist:Asian Women of Achievement Awards (UK), honoring the leadership and impact of women of Asian origin (2024)
• Award Winner 2023 Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights in the UK, supported by KPMG, seeks to shine a great big spotlight on leaders who are impacting others through kindness. (2023)
• Identified by the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) as a Distinguished Woman Researcher in the Built Environment. (2023)
• Identified as one of the six “top-flight scientists and technologists of global repute” of Sri Lankan origin. Sri Lanka National Science Foundation (NSF), the premier national institution in Sri Lanka (2023)
• Identified as one of the seven research leaders at the University of Huddersfield (2021 -2024)
• Recipient of the Best PhD supervisor of the Year 2022 Award, School of Applied Sciences. University of Huddersfield, UK. (2022)
• Best Paper Award, A Conceptual Framework to Understand the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Mechanism in Communication Management, 2022 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (2022)
• Winner of the Prestigious 2019Newton  Newton Prize is supported by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Newton Fund and the GCRF. (2020)
• Received the “His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Award” from His Excellency, Maithreepala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka, for the contribution to Disaster Resilience in Sri Lanka, 23^rd August 2018
• Winner of the UALL International Award 2018 for CADRE (Collaborative Action towards Disaster Resilience Education): An innovative partnership that created change in an international context. (2018)
• Best Paper Award. CIB World Building Congress, Tampere, Finland, June 2016
• Winner of the President’s Awards for Scientific Publication (2014)
• Runners up of Guardian University Awards 2013 - International Strategy Category for University of Salford (2013)
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) award for the Best Overall Paper.(2013)
• Shortlisted and was a finalist - International Collaboration of the Year –Initiative on Conflict Prevention through Infrastructure Reconstruction. THE AWARDS (2012)
• A large number of Best Paper and Poster Awards since 1998, including Emerald Literati Award for the Best Research Paper published in 2001
• Overseas Research Students Award (ORS): awarded by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principles of Universities in the UK (CVCP) for outstanding academic excellence and research potential (1997)
• 1993, 1992, 1991 and 1990 - University of Moratuwa Award, Highest Average at the B.Sc. Hons. Quantity Surveying Degree programme, 1^st to 4^th year examinations

• Appointed as the Chair of the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme Scientific Committee (ODTP-SC) by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
• Appointed as an expert member of the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) by the European Commission, the  Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME)
• Appointed as the Series Co-editor - Frontiers in Built Environment, Urban Science
• Appointed as the co-lead of the UNDRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) on Science & Technology, Geneva, UNDRR
• Member of the UNDRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) Advisory Group
• Appointed international expert, Reframing Built Environment for Climate Extremes, SLIIT, Sri Lanka
• Steering Committee Member of the UNDRR (United Nations Office for DRR) 2025 World Resilient Recovery
• Appointed member of the MCR 2030 Water Management Working Group by the UNDRR
• Advisory Committee Member for the Government of Sri Lanka’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme. The ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ initiative, launched to restore the country after Cyclone Ditwah
• Member of theInternational Advisory Committee for the Resilience and Sustainability Summit: Vision 2047 (RESSummit 2047). Cconvened as a high-level, multi-stakeholder mega-forum, India’s Vision 2047
• Steering Committee member of the UNDRR regional consultations on the Priority Actions to Enhance Readiness for Resilient Recovery and reconstruction
• Member of the Task Force on “Resilience in the Construction Industry”, Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management Programmes
• Member of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) Regional Coordination Committee for Europe
• Member of the European Commission and UNDRR European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG)
• Editor in Chief, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment. Published by Emerald Publishing, UK
• Steering Committee Member of the UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR)
• Expert member of the ICG/IOTWMS WG-1 on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness & Preparedness of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS)
• Appointed Expert, Capacity Assessment Task Team of Tsunami Preparedness of the IOTWMS Member States, led by IOC UNESCO
• Advisory Council Member of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)
• Appointed Expert of UN Women - Women's Resilience to Disasters Programme
• Steering Committee Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Frontiersof Development programme
• Principal Liaison Point - UK, of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Sri Lanka Initiative
• Expert and Advisor, Strengthening Urban Resilience, and Responding to Extreme Weather Events. World Bank and the Ministry of Emergency Management, China
• Appointed topic editor, Enhancing Resilience in Complex Systems: Transdisciplinary and Systems Approaches to Sustainable Infrastructure and Urban Development, Frontiers in Built Environment
• Member of the Board of Advisors,Article 25
• International Expert,Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka
• International Faculty. Sri Lanka Medical Association
• Member of the Advisory Board, Federation of Local Governments Authorities Sri Lanka
• Member of the Advisory Committee of the Association of Disaster Risk Management Professionals of Sri Lanka
• Member of the UNDRR Global Risk Assessment Framework Working Group (GRAF) on Risk Communication
• Invited to many international Panel leadership/moderator roles, a panellist of international panels
• Invited to many Workshop/Session leaderships, facilitator roles and invited speaker roles at international seminars, workshops and other events

Since 2014, I have collaborated with 323 research partners in 67 countries.  They include high-level external organisations, including the UN, Governments and regional bodies such as the IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group, and universities across all the continents of the world. Some examaples include:

• Americas - Argentina, Brazil,  Canada,  Colombia, Ecuador Guatemala, USA
• Europe - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary,  Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova , Portugal, , Russia , Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
• South Asia- Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,  Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
• East Asia- British Indian Ocean Territory, China, France – Reunion, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia Myanmar, Philippines , Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste
• Oceania - Australia, fiji, New Zealand
• Middle East-Barhan, Ghana, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Qatar
• Africa – Algeria, Angola, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Seychelles, Rwanda, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Zimbabwe

Collaborators (International across countries)

• APP - Regional dialog of Asian Preparedness Partnership
• Asian Development Bank
• Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management
• CIB - The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (Conseil International du Bâtiment)
• Commonwealth Association of Planners
• E-STAG - European Science & Technology Advisory Group of UNDRR
• GADRI - Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes
• Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)
• Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management Programmes
• ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
• International Geographical Union Commission on Hazard and Risk International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• International Network for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (IN-MHEWS)
• International Recovery Platform (IRP)
• IOC-UNESCO, ICG/IOTWMS - The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System
• IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
• MCR 2030 - Making cities Resilient 2030, UNDRR Network of European Academies of Science
• OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Resilient Cities Network
• Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism of UNDRR
• The European Commission Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), Brussels, Belgium
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
• The Resilience Shift - the global hub for resilience best practice
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Geneva, Switzerland
• The United Nations World Food Programme
• The World Bank
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
• UNESCAP - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
• UNDRR - The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
• WMO – World Meteorologicla Organisation
• World Council on City Data (WCCD)