Night of the Generals – Smart Resilient Cities: A Dialogue on Urban Safety and Technology
Celestine Ballroom, 22nd Floor, Cinnamon Life, Colombo • February 27, 2026
Organized by Melwa Conglomerate
Melwa Conglomerate hosted a forum on smart and resilient cities that invited professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss the role of technology and engineering in improving urban safety and infrastructure resilience. The event was designed to foster high-level discussion on how cities can strengthen resilience against environmental risks through engineering innovation, digital technologies, and climate-adaptive infrastructure systems.
Speaker
The program featured two speakers:
- Architect George Kunihiro, Chairman of T-Life Environmental Lab and Professor Emeritus at Kokushikan University, Tokyo
- Dr. Naveed Anwar, CEO of CSi Bangkok and Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Technology
Dr. Naveed’s presentation examined the role of structural engineering in building resilient cities, beginning with the disaster risk equation and its implications for infrastructure planning and design. The talk emphasized that vulnerability is the one variable in the disaster equation that engineering can directly reduce, highlighting the responsibility of engineers in improving safety and resilience within urban systems.
The presentation also explored emerging technologies that are transforming infrastructure engineering, including AI-enabled design methodologies, digital twin systems for structural health monitoring, and advanced analytical approaches that allow engineers to better understand and manage infrastructure performance under extreme conditions.
Interactive Dialogue
The two presentations were followed by a 40-minute discussion session with the audience, during which participants raised questions on practical strategies for improving infrastructure resilience in rapidly developing cities across South and Southeast Asia, particularly in the context of increasing climate-related risks.
The evening provided a platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue on how engineering, technology, and urban planning can work together to support safer, more resilient cities.
Related read: Dr. Naveed Speaks at Two Forums in Sri Lanka in July 2025
