Commits funds for complete revamp of Disaster Management Centre’s National RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal

Under its ‘Rebuild Together’ initiative, a national effort launched following Cyclone Ditwah to aid recovery and reduce future disaster risks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon has stepped forward to strengthen the country’s disaster preparedness and risk management capabilities by funding the complete revamp of the RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal managed by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

Cyclone Ditwah highlighted the need for robust, modern and accessible risk information systems. The Disaster Management Centre, as Sri Lanka’s national focal point for disaster risk management, plays a central role in coordinating preparedness, response and recovery. It is supported by platforms such as RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal and the DesInventar database, which house multi-hazard risk maps, exposure and vulnerability data, and historical disaster loss information.

These platforms support evidence-based planning, early warning dissemination, and emergency response, while also informing decisions that directly impact communities, such as urban redevelopment, safe relocation, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable business development, ensuring that people, livelihoods, and long-term growth are better protected from climate and disaster risks.

Recognising both the national importance of these systems and the gaps revealed by the recent cyclone, Commercial Bank reviewed the existing infrastructure and identified the urgent need to modernise the RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal. The Bank’s support will enable enhancements to the system’s architecture, visualisation tools and data-sharing capabilities, helping to ensure that risk information is more accessible, interoperable and responsive to evolving climate and disaster risks.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr Kapila Hettihamu, Chief Risk Officer of Commercial Bank said: “Cyclone Ditwah was a stark reminder that Sri Lanka is facing increasingly complex and far-reaching climate and disaster risks. As a leading financial institution, we believe our responsibility extends beyond responding to crises, to helping the country prepare for them. We have collaborated with the DMC to operationalise this upgrade as a way to transition the nation from reactive recovery to proactive, data-driven disaster risk management. As a bank that believes in using technology to make lives better, we feel the revamping of the RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal represents an investment in knowledge, preparedness and early action. This platform has the potential to save lives, protect livelihoods and reduce long-term economic loss. This initiative reflects our commitment to sustainability, sound risk management and aligning the strength of the financial sector with Sri Lanka’s national resilience goals.”

This milestone engagement of Commercial Bank was formalised at an event held at the Disaster Management Centre, attended by Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda (Retd.) (ndc, IG), Director General – DMC, Ms. Anoja Senevirathna, Director – Mitigation Research and Development Division – DMC, Mr Kapila Hettihamu, Chief Risk Officer of Commercial Bank; members of the Bank’s senior management, and members of the Bank’s Sustainability Department.

By supporting the revamp of the RiskInfo Spatial Data Portal, Commercial Bank said its contribution goes beyond immediate relief to focus on long-term resilience and future readiness. As climate risks increasingly translate into financial risks, access to robust disaster and climate data has also become vital for the banking and financial services sector, supporting better credit assessments, asset protection, climate-resilient lending and responsible investment decisions.

The first Sri Lankan bank with a market capitalisation exceeding US$ 1 Bn., Commercial Bank was also the first bank in the country to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World, and has the highest Tier I capital base among all Sri Lankan banks. The Bank is the largest private sector lender in Sri Lanka and the largest lender to the country’s SME sector. Commercial Bank is also a leader in digital innovation and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.

Commercial Bank operates a network of strategically located branches and automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 20 branches in Bangladesh, a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives, a microfinance company in Myanmar, and a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Bank’s fully owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance Ltd. and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, also deliver a range of financial services via their own branch networks.

Photo caption: Mr Kapila Hettihamu, Chief Risk Officer of Commercial Bank makes a symbolic presentation of the Bank’s support to Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda (Retd.) (ndc, IG), Director General of the Disaster Management Centre, in the presence of representatives of the two organisations.