Each year, Sri Lanka faces predictable cycles of drought and heavy rains, which disrupt day to day life and damage crops which many depended on,  and also cause numerous deaths and injuries. As of last evening, around 16 persons have been killed due to lightning, flooding, and landslides. 21,350 families have been affected due to the adverse weather. 

Just a few months ago, the ongoing heat wave, and the drought in some parts of the island was the talking point. However, we have moved on to the flooding, landslides, and trees uprooting due to heavy winds. It seems that the press covers this cycle each year, and each year governments in power claim to do more to reduce or remove the risk of injury, death and loss of crops, and the potential for property damage.

Now that climate change is becoming a ‘hot’ topic, and with the realisation that moving forward 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 acted to build resilience. 

However, Sri Lanka is all talk, and little action when it comes to preparing for such events and building resilience. Unlike many countries, Sri Lanka is far behind in accurate weather predictions. Had the island nation had the right technology and expertise, the heavy rain could have been predicted and flood risk modelled and mapped for early warning. Last weekend Sri Lanka’s Meteorological Department complained that they do not have the necessary ‘Doppler radar’. Now there is an outcry about why the department is not properly equipped. However, many forget that the National Audit Office (NAO), has over the years reported how the Met Department squandered nearly Rs. 400 million in an attempt to install one, with World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) collaboration, which ended in a costly disaster, and waste. Then in 2017, Sri Lanka turned to Japan and obtained funding for two more Doppler radars. However, the NAO reported in its 2018 annual report, that the two new Doppler radars, for which agreements were signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in June 2017, have not been set up either.

This week, torrential rains have displaced thousands of Sri Lankans with many parts of the island flooded, with the heavy rainfall, (400mm recorded in one day in some areas) the risk of landslides, flash flooding, flooding, trees being uprooted and coastal erosion, increase significantly. Had a proper investigation been done in 2018 when the NAO flagged the issue, and action taken to hold those responsible to book, Sri Lanka may have had the proper kit to predict the heavy rain and identify the area’s which would have been hardest hit, so that early warning be issued. However, such accountability is not to be found in Sri Lanka.  

Sri Lanka doesn’t have a robust national programme to mitigate the social and economic damages from the recurring events, and each year, the lives of many Sri Lankans are lost to such tragedies. While climate-related damages are not completely preventable, they can be managed to an extent. 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. Given that Sri Lanka’s industrial base is in the Western Province, and that the services and connectivity hub is in Colombo district, a robust flood management and mitigation plan is essential to keep the governance and trade hub of the island dry, and not disrupted.

Rushing to mobilise the military to act as first respondents and to carry out rescue/evacuations have become an easy go-to tool for the Government.  Some in the Government believe that the State’s responsibility is to rescue, provide cooked meals and monetary relief for the affected, and to pay compensation to those whose lives are lost. Such an approach shows how poor the governance of the island is, where the State is content with after incident action and throwing a few million rupees at the victims, so that they can sail on to the next issue, without batting an eyelid.

If Sri Lanka wants to rebuild itself, it must take climate resilience, weather events and disaster mitigation and response more seriously.