JICA gives Sri Lanka’s RDA drones to boost landslide prevention

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has given Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority (RDA) advanced drones as part of a technical cooperation project to strengthen landslide disaster prevention.

The Project for Strengthening the Capacity of Landslide Disaster Prevention for Resilient Road Transportation in Sri Lanka (2025–2028) aims to enhance Sri Lanka’s capabilities in landslide risk screening, hazard evaluation, disaster‑related data management, and emergency response for national road networks, particularly in landslide‑prone areas.

The drones were given in response to an urgent request from RDA after Cyclone Ditwa.

“The newly provided drones will now be used to investigate the hazardous slopes from the air,” Minoru MATSUNOSHITA, Senior Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office said.

The drones will enable RDA engineers and Japanese Experts to conduct wide field investigations, assess landslide‑affected slopes, identify high‑risk locations, and examine potential emergency mitigation measures, JICA said.

“The project team of RDA engineers and Japanese experts is going to start a broader field survey for the areas affected by the cyclone from March 2026.

“Based on the findings from the field investigation, the JICA Experts will examine potential emergency measures

at each site and provide technical advice to the RDA, as well as identify road sections and areas that are particularly at high-risk.”

Equipped with high‑precision imaging and mapping capabilities, the drones will improve real‑time assessment of disaster‑affected areas, rapid hazard detection, accurate topographic surveys, 3D model creation, and monitoring of vulnerable road sections.

Their findings will guide the selection of pilot sites and the planning of evidence‑based disaster‑response actions under the project.

The collected high‑resolution data will also be integrated into the Sri Lanka Road Asset Management System, supporting faster and more reliable decision‑making during emergencies.

Source: Economy Next