Ravindra Jayaratne

My principal research interests are in the field of coastal engineering, particularly wave hydrodynamics, wave-structure interaction, sediment transport processes and disaster prevention mechanisms against storm surges, tsunamis and glacier lake outburst floods.
I carried out several post-disaster field surveys in the UK, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. I subsequently used field data to develop soft engineering solutions (e.g. management strategies, flood inundation and evacuation maps, education seminars and disaster preparedness activities through participatory-action research) and hard engineering solutions (e.g. developing predictive tools; mathematical models, numerical models and design guidelines) through collected field data, numerical, mathematical and laboratory modelling of coastal defence structures under extreme wave conditions.
I have received external funding from Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2023), Royal Society (2014, 2021), Kansai University SDG Scheme (2020), Natural Environment Research Council (2018), Global Challenges Research Fund (2018), Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (2018), Newton Fund (2017), Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Government of Japan (2013), Royal Academy of Engineering (2008, 2010), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2005, 2010), University of Tokyo (2016, 2023), Waseda University (2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2023), Yokohama National University (2018), Japan. Moreover, I have secured several internal grants from the UEL (Impact Builder, 2023; Sabbatical Scheme, 2018-19; Mid-Career Researcher Fund, 2016; Impact Fund, 2016, 2020; International Research Collaboration Fund, 2014; Early Career Researcher Accelerator Fund, 2012; Promising Researcher Award, 2009).
I have authored 110+ peer-reviewed journal, book chapters and conference articles in coastal engineering and disaster risk reduction. I have contributed for UEL's REF 2014 and REF 2021 Engineering submissions. I was the Impact Champion for UoA 12 Engineering submission in 2021. I have completed 4 PhD supervisions as Director of Studies (DoS) and am currently supervising 3 PhD students (as DoS) in coastal engineering / disaster mitigation.
I am an Editor for the Coastal Engineering Journal (Taylor & Francis) since April 2024. I serve as a peer-reviewer for the following journals: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal & Ocean Engineering (ASCE), Coastal Engineering Journal (Taylor & Francis), Ocean Engineering (Elsevier) and Natural Hazards (Springer). I have organised several coastal engineering / water management conferences: CIWEM-UEL Water Emergencies & Management Conference, 2019; UEL’s AC&T Conference, 2010-2012; Waseda-YNU Coastal Engineering Research Seminar in Sri Lanka, 2006.
I have been a Visiting Researcher to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Michigan (2024), the Department of Socio-Cultural Environmental Studies at the University of Tokyo (2023), the Department of Urban Innovation at Yokohama National University (2018), the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa (2017), the Institute of Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2014) and the Complex Disaster Research Institute at Waseda University (since 2011).