Are We Ready To Face The Problem Of Climate Change? - EDITORIAL

Lanka is the second most vulnerable nation to confront climatic change. Roughly, 50 percent of our population lives in low-lying coastal areas in the west, south and south-west of the island. They are at risk of future sea level rise. Climate change also threatens the island’s biodiversity. Sea-level rise due to climate change has the potential to affect the overall abundance of endemic species.   

Our coastal regions, such as the Northern Province and the North Western Province, are extremely vulnerable to climate change. These maritime provinces are the most densely populated in the island. Ignoring the problem could affect agricultural productivity, bring on disasters like floods and droughts which result in increasing the spread of infectious illnesses, and finally undermining living standards. 

Our country experiences two monsoonal seasons - the South West Monsoon from May to August and the North East Monsoon which occurs in the northern and eastern regions between December and January. 
This year we experienced a distinct change in weather patterns, with the South West Monsoon expanding into October. 

The heavy rainscaused widespread flooding and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported of large numbers of people displaced owing to floods and landslides in the Gampaha, Matara, and Galle districts. 
Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) figures reveal of adverse weather conditions causing several deaths, with more than 75,000 people belonging to 20,450 families in 13 districts affected. 

According to the SLRCS’s initial assessment, more than 7,500 farmers lost their crops, and daily wage workers have been severely affected in the Matara district alone.

However, the May 2016 floods were perhaps the worst, resulting in 104 fatalities. Over 4,000 houses damaged and 620 completely destroyed. More than 340,000 people were affected including in highly populated areas such as Colombo and Gampaha. The economic damage to households was estimated as close to Rs 56 billion. 
A year later (May 2017) adverse weather affected at least half a million people and resulted in 140 deaths with widespread losses in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle and Matara.

Between 22 and 23 December 2018, the North East Monsoon brought heavy thunderstorms to northern Sri Lanka bringing more than 250mm of rain to the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts.

According to the DMC, over 75,000 people have been affected by the torrential rainfall and flash floods in the northern part of the island, with over 15,000 families reported to have been adversely affected. 
This December once again4,482 people have been affected so far due to inclement weather in the Northern Province with 1,626 people affected in the Kilinochchi district due to flash floods, while 138 were affected in the Vavuniya district, and 2,245 in the Mannar district. It is feared that if the flood waters do not recede soon, the entire Maha season paddy crop could be destroyed.

On the Global Climate Risk Index, Sri Lanka ranks very high – specifically in regard to climate change. The country having been identified as the second most vulnerable nation in the world to confront climatic changes due to the effects of global warming.

Roughly, 50 percent of our population live in low-lying coastal areas in the west, south, and south-west of the island, and are at risk of future sea level rise. Climate change also threatens the island’s biodiversity. Sea-level rise due to climate change has the potential to affect the overall abundance of endemic species. 

Coastal regions, such as the Northern Province and the North Western Province, are considered major hotspots which are extremely vulnerable to climate change. These maritime provinces are the most densely populated. 
Consequences include, damage to agricultural productivity, natural disasters like floods and droughts, increase in the spread of infectious diseases, and finally undermining living standards. 

We are facing a major climate change problem. Events of flooding, landslides, etc are happening around us more frequently. Are our governing authorities aware of this problem? Or are they ignoring the mounting evidence of this problem as they did in the lead up to the economic meltdown in 2022?
President Wickremesinghe was able to bring a degree of stability after we went into bankruptcy. Let’s hope we put our collective minds to face the problem of climate change before it explodes in our faces.