Sri Lanka has a knack for repeating mistakes, and it is almost as if we have collective amnesia when it comes to some issues which plagues the island each year. Despite changes in the climate and an increasingly difficult predictability of monsoon weather, Sri Lankans know very well that we will face cycles of drought and heavy rains, which disrupt day to day life and damage crops each year.
The frequency of climate-related disruptions to Sri Lanka will likely increase, making climate and disaster resilience a focus area for the island nation is not only prudent, but vital to maintain economic and social stability. ‘Extreme weather events’ are happening more frequently, and it is high time Sri Lanka acts to build resilience. Further, as a small island, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Around 50% of the county’s 22 million citizens live in low-lying coastal areas, most are at major risk of the future increase in the sea level, coastal erosion and adverse weather conditions.
Given Sri Lanka’s fragile state, and with a focus on economic recovery, the island nation can ill afford not to take climate resilience and extreme weather events seriously. As Sri Lanka’s industrial base is in the Western Province, and the services and connectivity hub is in the Colombo District, a robust flood management and mitigation plan is essential to keep the governance and trade hub of the island dry, active and not disrupted. Yet, very little is being done about the issue. While multiple governments have discussed and made plans for flood mitigation, and risk reduction in the Western Province, little concrete action has been taken to address the issue effectively.
Yesterday (19), with the onset of heavy rain during the long weekend, most urban and suburban areas which are prone to flooding got a taste of what’s to come when the thunderstorms kick in. Colombo’s long-recognised rainwater drainage crisis and the lack of wetlands come to the forefront, when the pace of urban life is impacted by clogged roads, minor flooding. The Meteorology Department has warned that showers or thundershowers are expected over most parts of the island, with heavy rainfall exceeding 100mm likely in some areas of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Northwestern, and Southern Provinces. In Willpaththu, a group of nearly 30 local and foreign tourists who were visiting the National Park have been rescued by wildlife officers after being unable to return due to heavy rainfall and flooding. According to reports, the roads they had used became impassable, preventing the group from reaching the Eluwankulama entrance. Officers from the Wildlife Department had to respond and move them safely using offroad vehicles. The Meteorology Department has also issued multiple landslide warnings to many high-risk regions across the island. Annually, Sri Lanka loses many citizens to flooding and landslides, and crop and property damage also keeps piling up. State authorities provide warnings about landslide risk areas and ask people to either evacuate or move out of the area completely. However, little is done to support such relocations, nor are adequate actions taken to reduce the risk of landslides in the high risk areas.
Sri Lanka’s bungling of foreign donations such as ‘Doppler radar’ donated by the Japanese Government in 2017/18 has been well documented. Such inaction and incompetence by State officials and those involved in governance leaves Sri Lanka poorly equipped and vulnerable to issues which we can, if we get our act together, plan for, mitigate and be resilient against. However, neither the public discourse nor the policy debates about such matters are seen to be gaining traction.
Sri Lanka records losses reaching hundreds of million dollars each year due to climate-related disasters. As such, it’s high time that Sri Lanka formulate a research-based national policy on how to prepare and face climate change and adverse weather issues. Urban planning and management will also need to be part of the process. However, this needs the topic to be elevated above Sri Lanka’s traditional partisan political discourse. This matter requires bipartisan support based on sound scientific research. The policy itself should be drafted by subject matter experts, with wide stakeholder consultations, and where appropriate Sri Lanka should see foreign expertise as needed. The island can ill afford to let this issue pass unaddressed as the vulnerabilities make Sri Lanka weaker.