Social Media as a Tool of Disaster Governance: An Analysis of Facebook-Based Government Communication in Sri Lanka

The increasing frequency of natural disasters has highlighted the importance of effective disaster governance and timely public communication. In Sri Lanka, government institutions have increasingly adopted social media platforms, particularly Facebook, to disseminate disaster-related information, issue early warnings, and engage with citizens during emergency situations. Despite the widespread use of Facebook for disaster communication, limited research has examined its effectiveness as a tool of disaster governance from the perspectives of Political Science and Mass Communication. This study investigates the role of Facebook-based government communication in strengthening disaster governance in Sri Lanka. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study adopts a descriptive case study design and utilizes qualitative content analysis of official Facebook pages of selected government institutions, including the Disaster Management Centre, the Department of Meteorology, and the National Building Research Organisation. Semi-structured interviews with disaster management officials and communication experts, together with documentary analysis, provide additional data for thematic analysis. The findings reveal that Facebook has become an important digital governance tool by facilitating timely dissemination of disaster warnings, improving public awareness, enhancing institutional transparency, and promoting citizen engagement. However, the study also identifies several challenges, including the spread of misinformation, unequal access to digital technologies, inconsistent communication practices, and limited institutional capacity, which reduce the overall effectiveness of Facebook-based disaster communication. The study concludes that while Facebook has considerable potential to strengthen disaster governance in Sri Lanka, its effectiveness depends on coordinated government communication strategies, improved digital infrastructure, enhanced public trust, and greater institutional responsiveness.

Disaster Governance, Facebook, Government Communication, Social Media

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