Forced relocation of people lived in hazard prone areas into new settlements has been employed
as a vulnerability reduction strategy to natural hazards to secure peoples’ livelihoods by various
governments in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, it is evident from studies that forced relocation in turn
has created new social vulnerabilities among resettlers as some of them are unable to
successfully cope with various stress and risks situations created as a result of the shock of
forced relocation, while a few resettlers successfully cope with it. In this context, this paper
explores how forced relocation of tsunami displaced people lived in the 100 meter buffer zone
in the Galle city into new settlements far from the previous place of residence make them
vulnerable based on fieldwork carried out in two tsunami relocation settlements in Akmeemana
Divisional Secretariat in Galle.
Based on the findings from the empirical survey carried out in two relocation settlements
situated 10-15 km away from the city of Galle, this paper argues that planners and other
relevant officials who were responsible for relocation intentionally or unintentionally have not
attempted to reduce risks and stress factors of forced relocation in the planning stage or even
soon after relocation. Therefore, this situation has increased social vulnerability of resettlers as
majority of them are unable to successfully cope with the situation. However, the author argued
that resettlers may need at least five years or more to adapt to the new environment and to get
basic facilities to their respective settlements. In this context, the author recommends to
minimize such risks and stress factors before relocation or immediately after relocation in order
to assist resettlers to adapt to the new environment without problems in order to make
relocation a success by reducing new social vulnerabilities