Canada has given Sri Lanka support to train officials from government and non-governmental organisations in responding to natural disasters like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which devastated parts of its coastline. High Commissioner for Canada, Angela J. Bogdan, said in a statement that the devastating impact of the tsunami and other natural disasters in many countries had reinforced the need for better planning and preparation for major natural disasters." Pro-active cooperation in early warning, communication, analysis and evacuation systems can help Sri Lanka to estimate the efficiency of the overall system and to propose improvements which can be crucial,' she said speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop for officials on Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and Planning, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency at Hotel Trans Asia in Colombo. It was conducted by the University of Moratuwa in collaboration with the University of Calgary.