• Warns of intensified climate risks including droughts, floods and food security pressures 

A discussion between climate and economic experts and Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa on the potential impact of El Niño and La Niña conditions on Sri Lanka was held yesterday (5) at the Opposition Leader's Office in Colombo. 

During the discussion, Premadasa invited the experts to share their assessments and recommendations on how Sri Lanka should prepare for potential climate disruptions linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns. He said that the insights would be presented to Parliament and integrated into the national policy agenda through the Climate Change Parliamentary Caucus.

He noted that evidence-based decision-making was essential for shaping long-term national resilience strategies and said that the Opposition intended to engage constructively on climate-related policy challenges.

Premadasa, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Climate Change Parliamentary Caucus, said that similar engagements would continue in the future and invited the participating experts to contribute to the caucus’ ongoing work.

Explaining the ENSO system, Premadasa said that El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns driven by changes in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the Pacific Ocean. He noted that El Niño conditions are associated with unusually warm ocean temperatures, while La Niña brings cooler-than-average conditions, both of which significantly influence global weather systems.

He warned that these climate shifts can trigger droughts, floods, heatwaves, reduced agricultural output and water shortages. He also recalled the severe global disruptions linked to major El Niño events in 1982, 1997–1998 and 2015–2016.

Experts at the meeting noted that meteorological forecasts have pointed to the possibility of a stronger El Niño event in the coming period, which could push global temperatures to record levels in 2026 or 2027.

Premadasa further highlighted the risk this poses to global food security, noting that staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize and soybeans account for nearly 60 per cent of global caloric intake. Any disruption in production, he said, could drive food price inflation and economic instability.

He added that developing countries face additional challenges due to limited infrastructure, financing capacity and technology access, stressing the need to strengthen climate resilience and preparedness.