Novil Yasantha Wijesekra has over ten years of experience in the field of environmental health in the areas of community-based disaster risk management, participatory community development, and drinking water quality. As a doctoral trainee in community medicine at the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, Wijesekra is an active member of a team that is responsible for strengthening the health sector’s disaster resilience. As a Community Solutions Fellow, Wijesekra worked at the World Cares Center in New York City, learning best practices in the promotion of disaster preparedness at the community level, volunteer management of disasters, and capacity building in the field of disaster management. Upon returning to Sri Lanka, Wijesekra established the Community Resilience Center, an organization which promotes community resilience with the help of past and present Community Solutions Fellows, other U.S. Department of State fellows, and like-minded young professionals involved in community development. Through the Community Resilience Center, Wijesekra is engaged in his follow-on project, “Safer Colombo Preparing for Emergencies.”

Email: novil.wijesekara@gmail.com