Disaster Risk Management is not an area new to Sri Lanka; what is new however, is the approach to it. In the past, efforts in this area have focused more on reactive measures after a disaster. Until very recently Sri Lanka did not have an integrated institutional framework for disaster response, and a pro-active policy to tackle the trend of increasing disasters. The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the worst disaster that nature brought on us was a test to see the county’s resilience and the capacity of the people to overcome  devastation.At this discussion the officers were enlightened on Early Warning Systems; Disaster Preparedness Planning and Response; risk mitigation, risk reduction, community based disaster management, education and public awareness.(KH/bpk)