The scale of destruction caused by cyclonic storm Ditwah is unlike anything Sri Lanka has faced in recent decades. Entire communities have been displaced, livelihoods have been erased, and key infrastructure across provinces has been damaged beyond immediate repair. While emergency operations continue, it is increasingly clear that the country’s path to full recovery will not be measured in weeks or months, but in years.

Rebuilding must begin with an honest understanding of the magnitude of what has been lost. At this stage, even with ongoing assessments, the true extent of the disaster remains only partially visible. When Sri Lanka experienced the major floods of 2016, the impact assessment was completed only after several months. This time will be no different. In fact, it could take longer. Therefore, the Government, international donors and aid agencies must recognise that initial data is just the beginning. The full picture of damage will unfold gradually when water recedes, transport routes reopen and ground-level assessments become possible in affected areas.

Early updates already reveal the scale of destruction. According to official assessments, 1,777 tanks, 483 dams, 1,936 canals and 328 agricultural roads under the Department of Agricultural Services have been damaged. An estimated 137,265 acres of farmland, which are crucial for food security, have been destroyed, alongside 305 minor irrigation channels. The Road Development Authority has managed to restore 246 previously obstructed roads, but 22 bridges were completely destroyed. Sri Lanka’s railway network has also suffered damages.

This is not simply a natural disaster. It’s also an economic shock with deep social consequences. Damages and reconstruction may ultimately cost trillions of rupees or billions of dollars over multiple years. Entire supply chains, from agriculture to tourism to transportation, have been disrupted. Some communities may not regain access to essential services for months. Others may never return to the way they lived before. That reality may sound bleak, but it must be acknowledged. Recovery is not a one-year project. It is a long-term mission that requires coordination, political will and a commitment to build back differently.

However, within this tragedy lies an opportunity. That is the opportunity to repair decades of neglect, poor planning and environmentally harmful development patterns that have made Sri Lanka increasingly vulnerable to climate disasters. The country now has a chance to design a future that is safer, more resilient and more sustainable. This will require tough decisions. Sri Lanka can no longer afford to rebuild dwellings in high-risk areas simply because communities have historically lived there. Politically unpopular steps, like relocating certain villages or families, or reconsidering whether entire towns should continue to exist in unsafe areas, may be necessary to prevent future tragedies. Such decisions must be guided by science, environmental assessments and long-term risk projections rather than short-term political convenience.

Infrastructure must be also be redesigned. Rebuilding road and railway networks cannot be an exercise in patching up what existed before. Sri Lanka will need international expertise, climate-friendly engineering advice and innovative design solutions to create transport systems capable of withstanding extreme weather events. At the same time, irrigation channels, dams and tanks, many of them are centuries old, must be upgraded using modern engineering that respect both the environment and Sri Lanka’s heritage.

Above all, Sri Lanka must shift from reaction to preparation. Climate extremes are no longer rare events. They are the new reality. With disasters expected to intensify in frequency and severity in the next few decades for the entire world, resilience must be embedded into the national development agenda, fiscal planning and urban policies.

This moment offers Sri Lanka the chance to rethink everything – where we build, how we build and who we protect. Cyclone Ditwah has left scars that will take years or decades to heal. But, if Sri Lanka uses this moment wisely, the rebuilding process can lay the foundation for a safer, more resilient nation.