Dr. K.D. Charitha R. Dissanayaka

Dr. K.D. Charitha R. Dissanayaka is a Senior Lecturer in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering at Sri Lanka Technology Campus (SLTC), where he brings together a combination of rigorous academic training and hands-on industry experience. He holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Saitama University, Japan, earned under the prestigious Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship, and an MSc in Water Resources Engineering and Management from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. His research interests span coastal engineering, tsunami hazard mitigation, hybrid defence systems, climate change modelling, floodplain mapping, and AI-assisted engineering solutions. He has contributed to several international peer-reviewed journals and actively serves as a reviewer for MDPI, Elsevier, and Springer publications. Before transitioning to academia, Charitha built a strong professional foundation working in numerical modelling at Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd. in Tokyo and in construction industry.

• Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan, 2023.
• MSc. in Water Resources Engineering and Management, UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centrefor South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM), University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 2017.
• Bachelor of Technology (Engineering) Special Degree in Civil Engineering, The OpenUniversity of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2014.
• Diploma Technology in Civil Engineering, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Colombo, SriLanka, 2013.
• Engineering Council Graduate Diploma, Engineering Council UK - Sri Lanka,2012.

Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering
Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering
Numerical and Hydrodynamic Modelling
GIS and Remote Sensing Applications
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Engineering
Fluid Mechanics and Open Channel Flow
Research Methodology
AI-Assisted and Machine Learning Engineering Applications

My research focuses on the development of AI and machine learning-driven Digital Twin frameworks for data-driven multi-hazard coastal disaster mitigation, integrating deep learning surrogate models, Physics-Informed Neural Networks, and transformer architectures with physics-based coastal simulation tools (FUNWAVE-TVD, OpenFOAM, HEC-RAS 2D) to enable realtime tsunami run-up, wave overtopping, and compound coastal–fluvial inundation assessment at engineering scales. This framework is further advanced through drone-based (UAV) post-disaster damage assessment using computer vision pipelines (YOLO, SfM photogrammetry), LSTM and transformer-based river flood early warning systems driven by SINTEX-F2 seasonal climate ensembles, climate change compound hazard projection via statistical and dynamical downscaling (CanESM2/RCP, WRF, SDSM), and Eco-DRR/Hybrid Defense Approach optimisation,which include unified within 4-Dimensional Virtual Earth platform to deliver actionable, real-time disaster risk intelligence for coastal communities across South and Southeast Asia.

• Force Reduction and Flow Structure at a Coastal Building with Different Outer Frame Openings Following Primary Defensive Alternatives: An Experiment-Based Review.
• Numerical modeling and validation of dike induced water flow dynamics using OpenFOAM,
• Numerical simulation of flow over a coastal embankment and validation of the nappe flow impinging jet.
• Scour around the single emergent cylinder due to subcritical and supercritical approach flow conditions.
• Comparison of the Flow around Circular and Rectangular Emergent Cylinders with Subcritical and Supercritical Conditions.
• Effect of Orientation and Vegetation over the Embankment Crest for Energy Reduction at Downstream.
• Integration of Eco-DRR and hybrid defense system on mitigation of natural disasters (Tsunami and Coastal Flooding): a review.
• Long-Term Precipitation Trends and Climate Extremes in The Kelani River Basin, Sri Lanka, and Their Impact on Streamflow Variability Under Climate Change.

• Use of GPU Assisted DualSPHysics to evaluate the debris transformation and Impact.
• Modelling of River Embankment Erosion due to Overtopping Using CFDDEM and LIGGGHTS.
• Numerical Evaluation of the Monolithic Behavior of a Colony-Type Emergent Vegetation Patch.
• Integrating Machine Learning for Landslide Occurrence Identification in Upper Mahaweli Catchment.
• Determination of the Optimal DWTR: Soil Ratio for Safe Agricultural Use.
• Sustainable Utilization of Drinking Water Treatment Residual (Dwtr) Combined with Compost for Improving Soil Physical Properties and Chilli (Capsicum Annuum L.) Growth Under Greenhouse Conditions.
• Infrastructure Enhancement Using Drone-Based Visual Inspection and Defect Detection: An AI-Assisted Machine Learning Approach.
• Coastal Erosion of the Western Coast of Sri Lanka: A FUNWAVE-TVD Application.
• Integrating Machine Learning for Landslide Occurrence Identification in Upper Mahaweli Catchment.
• Infrastructure Enhancement Using Drone-Based Visual Inspection and Defect Detection: An AIAssisted Machine Learning Approach.
• Real-time traffic violation and DUI detection system using convolutional neural networks on street surveillance videos.

• A full scholarship was awarded by the Ministry of Science, Education, and Culture (MEXT) Japan to do a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering at the Hydraulics Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Saitama University, Japan (September 2020 – September 2023).
• Full Scholarship awarded by the UNESCO-SAF to do a MSc. in Water Resources Engineering & Management at the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa (February 2016 – March 2017).
• Thureirajah Full Scholarship awarded by the Finance Division of the Open University of Sri Lanka to exempt the tuition fee between 2013 and 2014 (January 2013 – December 2014).

Hydraulics and Hydrology Engineering
Environmental Engineering and Environmental Planning
High-fidelity Numerical Simulation
Climate Change Studies