Arup civil engineer Anthony Peter, 26, was among the first British specialists to be sent to Sri Lanka to help with the reconstruction. Here, in the first part of a diary for Building, he recounts his initial experiences

“As I prepare to fly out to Sri Lanka, I do not know exactly where in the country I will be posted. GOAL, the agency I am working for, has three sites in the south-east, and I could be sent to any one of those. Wherever I am sent, my brief will remain the same. Initially, I will help with temporary relief work: clearance of rubble and of dead bodies, and provision of shelter and clean water supplies.

“Hopefully, in a month’s time we will be able to replace temporary accommodation and water systems with permanent structures and supplies as we move on to phase two of our work. But until we have begun work, it is difficult to say exactly when that will be possible.

“Myself and the other seven members of our team, which includes an environmental health expert, will also be creating employment for the local workforce. GOAL had no offices in Sri Lanka before the disaster so we need to recruit local people. By offering money for labouring and administrative duties, the charity can help people begin to get back on their feet.

“The extent of the disaster is so massive that it is impossible to say now what I will feel when I land in the region. I’ve been given literature by GOAL, and offered counselling when I return, but I cannot say what impact the experience will have on me. I don’t think the scale of the damage in Sri Lanka can be appreciated until you have seen it with your own eyes. I have no idea what to expect other than chaos, and people running around trying frantically to get to grips with what is needed.

Initially I will help with clearance of rubble and bodies

“I have not been involved in disaster relief before, but have done some RedR training to prepare me for my work. When I left university, feeling slightly disillusioned with civil engineering, I worked in Ghana on a schoolbuilding programme for charity, which spurred me on to volunteer for other difficult situations. Going to Sri Lanka may be daunting, but I would be crazy not to go as I have skills that could be of immense help.”

  • Anthony Peter is one of up to eight people being seconded from Arup to aid agencies. He will assist engineering aid agency RedR and Irish agency GOAL in short- and medium-term repair work for three months in Sri Lanka.
  • For further information visit www.arup.com