NBRO is the designated national focal point for landslide risk management in Sri Lanka. Hence as its responsibilities, NBRO carries out landslide related studies, investigations, mapping, monitoring, early warning and mitigation work and in addition, provides a unique service of issuing Landslide Risk Assessment Reports as a pre-requisite for approving building permits and development plans. NBRO’s expertise extends into a wide range of disciplines such as environmental management, human settlements planning, engineering project management, geotechnical engineering, and building materials engineering also.
Furthermore, NBRO heavily relies on self-earning and most of its income is generated through consultancy & testing services offered to the state and the private sector.
Functions of NBRO
- Engage in applied research and development work related to disaster risk reduction and safe built environment
- Play the role as the national focal point for landslides and geo-hazards
- Carry out research and provide guidelines on planning and development of sustainable housing and safe human settlements in disaster-prone areas and in areas endangered with climatically varying conditions
- Carry out research & development activities on the utilization of areas with technologically problematic soils
- Improve alternative sources of building materials, products and technologies
- Provide standard reports on buildings and construction, damage assessment and technical solutions
- Provide information, educational programmes, training and technological services by specialized resource persons
- Undertake testing and consultancy assignments and conducting research projects on geology, geo-technical engineering , building materials, structural engineering and building services, project management, environmental management, human settlements planning and in areas relevant to carrying out the objectives of the organisation.