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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has declared that unauthorized constructions in the Colombo District will not receive approval under any circumstance, warning that such unplanned development has intensified the district’s vulnerability to flooding. She stressed that no project -particularly those disguised as development initiatives -will be permitted if it poses a threat to public safety.

Speaking to the media after the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held on December 9 at the Colombo District Secretariat, the Prime Minister highlighted that years of ad-hoc construction, regulatory neglect, and politically driven decisions have placed both the district and its residents in a dangerous position.

While recent cyclone-related destruction was far more severe in other districts, she noted that Colombo still faces significant future risks. To address this, relevant state agencies are now working together on targeted interventions to reduce the district’s susceptibility to flooding.

Dr. Amarasuriya emphasized that recurring floods cannot be allowed to become a routine hardship for the people of Colombo. A coordinated district-wide plan for flood prevention is being developed, with implementation measures expected to begin soon.

She further confirmed that discussions are underway to introduce lasting and sustainable solutions for families currently living in high-risk zones across the district.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Colombo District Members of Parliament Aruna Panagoda and Chandana Suriyarachchi.

Moody’s Investors Service has issued a stark warning that Sri Lanka now faces the most severe credit consequences from the wave of climate-related disasters that have struck South and Southeast Asia in recent weeks.

In its 5 December statement, the rating agency highlighted that the region has endured a series of tropical cyclones combined with unusually intense monsoon rains since mid-November, leading to widespread flooding, landslides and substantial loss of life.

According to Moody’s, while several countries across the region share exposure to physical climate risks, Sri Lanka stands out due to its significantly weaker fiscal buffers.

The agency groups Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam among the countries with high sensitivity to climate-related shocks, but stresses that Sri Lanka’s constrained public finances give it far less room to absorb economic losses or invest in adaptation.

This amplifies the credit impact at a time when the country is still attempting to stabilise after its historic sovereign default.

Moody’s also linked the scale of climate risk exposure to the strength of public institutions. Although recent reforms have somewhat improved Sri Lanka’s policy framework, it still carries a governance issuer profile score of 4 the same as Vietnam indicating substantial vulnerability to governance-related credit pressures.

In contrast, peers with stronger governance and fiscal capacity are expected to face more limited credit fallout from the same disasters.

 The agency also noted that the severity of flooding across the region exposes deeper structural weaknesses, including the widespread absence of natural catastrophe insurance. As climate-related events grow more frequent and more destructive, the credit implications for governments are expected to intensify unless resilience investment increases.

Last October, Moody’s assessed that Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic stabilisation was progressing broadly as expected, with the current account projected to remain in surplus through 2025 due to tourism and remittances.

However, the country’s narrow tax base, dependence on external financing, and extremely low debt affordability remained major risks, particularly if global financial conditions tightened.

Moody’s said that maintaining reform momentum under the IMF-supported programme is essential for improving the island’s credit profile. Any rollback of reforms or weakening of external buffers, it warned, could quickly reverse recent gains.

Following Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka has requested around US$200 million under the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument to help address emergency fiscal needs.

The Fifth Review of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility originally scheduled to conclude on 15 December and unlock a US$347 million disbursement has now been deferred to early 2026 due to the new fiscal pressures created by the disaster.

The Mahaweli Development Authority (MDA) has announced that heavy vehicles will no longer be permitted to use the roadway over the Kotmale Dam, citing safety and structural considerations.Nuwara Eliya District MP Manjula Suraweera Arachchi revealed that the MDA is also preparing to provide 55 hectares of land under its jurisdiction for resettlement purposes, particularly for communities affected by ongoing weather-related risks.

Addressing recent speculation, MDA Director General H.M.J. Herath firmly rejected social media rumors claiming the dam’s sluice gates had been opened without necessity. He stressed that engineers make such decisions strictly based on scientific data and hydrological analysis.

Herath made these remarks following an inspection of the dam’s sluice system and subsequent discussions held at the MDA office in Kotmale. He further noted that a new public alert mechanism will soon replace the current method used to inform residents ahead of future sluice gate operations.

Tropical Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall in Sri Lanka on 28 November 2025, is considered the country’s worst natural disaster since the deadly 2004 tsunami. It intensified the northeast monsoon, bringing torrential rainfall, massive flooding, and 215 severe landslides across seven districts.

The cyclone left a trail of destruction, killing nearly 500 people, displacing over a million, destroying homes, roads, and railway lines, and disabling critical infrastructure including 4,000 transmission towers. Total economic losses are estimated at USD 6–7 billion—exceeding the country’s foreign reserves.

The Sri Lankan Armed Forces have led the relief efforts, aided by international partners including India and Pakistan. A Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter crashed in Wennappuwa, killing the pilot and injuring four others, while five Sri Lanka Navy personnel died in Chundikkulam in the north while widening waterways to mitigate flooding.

The bravery and sacrifice of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces during this disaster—as in past disasters—continue to be held in high esteem by grateful Sri Lankans.

The government, however, is facing intense criticism for its handling of Cyclone Ditwah, including failure to heed early warnings available since November 12, a slow and poorly coordinated response, and inadequate communication with the public

Systemic issues—underinvestment in disaster management, failure to activate protocols, bureaucratic neglect, and a lack of coordination among state institutions—are also blamed for avoidable deaths and destruction.

The causes of climate disasters such as Cyclone Ditwah go far beyond disaster preparedness. Faulty policymaking, mismanagement, and decades of unregulated economic development have eroded the island’s natural defenses. As climate scientist Dr. Thasun Amarasinghe notes:
“Sri Lankan wetlands—the nation’s most effective natural flood-control mechanism—have been bulldozed, filled, encroached upon, and sold.

Many of these developments were approved despite warnings from environmental scientists, hydrologists, and even state institutions.”

Sri Lanka’s current vulnerabilities also stem from historical deforestation and plantation agriculture associated with colonial-era export development. Forest cover declined from 82% in 1881 to 70% in 1900, and to 54–50% by 1948, when British rule ended. It fell further to 44% in 1954 and to 16.5% by 2019.

Deforestation contributes an estimated 10–12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond removing a vital carbon sink, it damages water resources, increases runoff and erosion, and heightens flood and landslide risk. Soil-depleting monocrop agriculture further undermines traditional multi-crop systems that regenerate soil fertility, organic matter, and biodiversity.

In Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, which were battered by Cyclone Ditwah, deforestation and unregulated construction had destabilized mountain slopes. Although high-risk zones prone to floods and landslides had long been identified, residents were not relocated, and construction and urbanization continued unchecked.

Sri Lanka was the first country in Asia to adopt neoliberal economic policies. With the “Open Economy” reforms of 1977, a capitalist ideology equating human well-being with quantitative growth and material consumption became widespread. Development efforts were rushed, poorly supervised, and frequently approved without proper environmental assessment.

Privatization and corporate deregulation weakened state oversight. The recent economic crisis and shrinking budgets further eroded environmental and social protections, including the maintenance of drainage networks, reservoirs, and early-warning systems. These forces have converged to make Sri Lanka a victim of a dual climate threat: gradual environmental collapse and sudden-onset disasters.

Sri Lanka: A Climate Victim

Sri Lanka’s carbon emissions remain relatively small but are rising. The impact of climate change on the island, however, is immense. Annual mean air temperature has increased significantly in recent decades (by 0.016 °C annually between 1961 and 1990). Sea-level rise has caused severe coastal erosion—0.30–0.35 meters per year—affecting nearly 55% of the shoreline. The 2004 tsunami demonstrated the extreme vulnerability of low-lying coastal plains to rising seas.

The Cyclone Ditwah catastrophe was neither wholly new nor surprising. In 2015, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) identified Sri Lanka as the South Asian country with the highest relative risk of disaster-related displacement: “For every million inhabitants, 15,000 are at risk of being displaced every year.”

IDMC also noted that in 2017 the country experienced seven disaster events—mainly floods and landslides—resulting in 135,000 new displacements and that Sri Lanka “is also at risk for slow-onset impacts such as soil degradation, saltwater intrusion, water scarcity, and crop failure”.

Sri Lanka ranked sixth among countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2018 (Germanwatch) and second in 2019 (Global Climate Risk Index). Given these warnings, Cyclone Ditwah should not have been a surprise. Scientists have repeatedly cautioned that warmer oceans fuel stronger cyclones and warmer air hold more moisture, leading to extreme rainfall.

As the Ceylon Today editorial of December 1, 2025 also observed: “…our monsoons are no longer predictable. Cyclones form faster, hit harder, and linger longer. Rainfall becomes erratic, intense, and destructive. This is not a coincidence; it is a pattern.”

Without urgent action, even more extreme weather events will threaten Sri Lanka’s habitability and physical survival.

A Global Crisis

Extreme weather events—droughts, wildfires, cyclones, and floods—are becoming the global norm. Up to 1.2 billion people could become “climate refugees” by 2050. Global warming is disrupting weather patterns, destabilizing ecosystems, and posing severe risks to life on Earth. Indonesia and Thailand were struck by the rare and devastating Tropical Cyclone Senyar in late November 2025, occurring simultaneously with Cyclone Ditwah’s landfall in Sri Lanka.

More than 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions—and nearly 90% of carbon emissions—come from burning coal, oil, and gas, which supply about 80% of the world’s energy. Countries in the Global South, like Sri Lanka, which contribute least to greenhouse gas emissions, are among the most vulnerable to climate devastation.

Yet wealthy nations and multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, continue to subsidize fossil fuel exploration and production. Global climate policymaking—including COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025—has been criticized as ineffectual and dominated by fossil fuel interests.

If the climate is not stabilized, long-term planetary forces beyond human control may be unleashed. Technology and markets are not inherently the problem; rather, the issue lies in the intentions guiding them. The techno-market worldview, which promotes the belief that well-being increases through limitless growth and consumption, has contributed to severe economic inequality and more frequent extreme weather events.

The climate crisis, in turn, reflects a profound mismatch between the exponential expansion of a profit-driven global economy and the far slower evolution of human consciousness needed to uphold morality, compassion, generosity and wisdom.

Sri Lanka’s 2025–26 budget, adopted on November 14, 2025—just as Cyclone Ditwah loomed—promised subsidized land and electricity for companies establishing AI data centers in the country. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament: “Don’t come questioning us on why we are giving land this cheap; we have to make these sacrifices.”

Yet Sri Lanka is a highly water-stressed nation, and a growing body of international research shows that AI data centers consume massive amounts of water and electricity, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

The failure of the narrow, competitive techno-market approach underscores the need for an ecological and collective framework capable of addressing the deeper roots of this existential crisis—both for Sri Lanka and the world.

Mapping the Initial Impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka Source:Geosmart/Vantor

Ecological and Human Protection

Ecological consciousness demands recognition that humanity is part of the Earth, not separate from it. Policies to address climate change must be grounded in this understanding, rather than in worldviews that prize infinite growth and technological dominance.

Nature has primacy over human-created systems: the natural world does not depend on humanity, while humanity cannot survive without soil, water, air, sunlight, and the Earth’s essential life-support systems.

Although a climate victim today, Sri Lanka is also home to an ancient ecological civilization dating back to the arrival of the Buddhist monk Mahinda Thera in the 3rd century BCE. Upon meeting King Devanampiyatissa, who was out hunting in Mihintale, Mahinda Thera delivered one of the earliest recorded teachings on ecological interdependence and the duty of rulers to protect nature:

“O great King, the birds of the air and the beasts of the forest have as much right to live and move about in any part of this land as thou. The land belongs to the people and all living beings; thou art only its guardian.”

A stone inscription at Mihintale records that the king forbade the killing of animals and the destruction of trees. The Mihintale Wildlife Sanctuary is believed to be the world’s first.

Sri Lanka’s ancient dry-zone irrigation system—maintained over more than a millennium—stands as a marvel of sustainable development. Its network of interconnected reservoirs, canals, and sluices captured monsoon waters, irrigated fields, controlled floods, and even served as a defensive barrier.

Floods occurred, but historical records show no disasters comparable in scale, severity, or frequency to those of today. Ancient rulers, including the legendary reservoir-builder King Parākramabāhu, and generations of rice farmers managed their environment with remarkable discipline and ecological wisdom.

The primacy of nature became especially evident when widespread power outages and the collapse of communication networks during Cyclone Ditwah forced people to rely on one another for survival. The disaster ignited spontaneous acts of compassion and solidarity across all communities—men and women, rich and poor, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus.

Local and international efforts mobilized to rescue, shelter, feed, and emotionally support those affected. These actions demonstrated a profound human instinct for care and cooperation, often filling vacuums left by formal emergency systems.

Yet spontaneous solidarity alone is insufficient. Sri Lanka urgently needs policies on sustainable development, environmental protection, and climate resilience. These include strict, science-based regulation of construction; protection of forests and wetlands; proper maintenance of reservoirs; and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Schools should teach environmental literacy that builds unity and solidarity, rather than controversial and divisive curriculum changes like the planned removal of history and introduction of contested modules on gender and sexuality.

If the IMF and international creditors—especially BlackRock, Sri Lanka’s largest sovereign bondholder, valued at USD 13 trillion—are genuinely concerned about the country’s suffering, could they not cancel at least some of Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt and support its rebuilding efforts?

Addressing the climate emergency and the broader existential crisis facing Sri Lanka and the world ultimately requires an evolution in human consciousness guided by morality, compassion, generosity and wisdom.

Dr Asoka Bandarage is the author of Colonialism in Sri Lanka: The Political Economy of the Kandyan Highlands, 1833-1886 (Mouton) Women, Population and Global Crisis: A Politico-Economic Analysis (Zed Books), The Separatist Conflict in Sri Lanka: Terrorism, Ethnicity, Political Economy, ( Routledge), Sustainability and Well-Being: The Middle Path to Environment, Society and the Economy (Palgrave MacMillan) Crisis in Sri Lanka and the World: Colonial and Neoliberal Origins, Ecological and Collective Alternatives (De Gruyter) and numerous other publications. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Interfaith Moral Action on Climate and Critical Asian Studies.

IPS UN Bureau

© Inter Press Service (20251209073425) — All Rights Reserved.

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The government’s “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme, launched to support recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, has secured Rs. 1,893 million in contributions from local donors, Sri Lankans living abroad, and several institutions, according to Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.Dr. Suriyapperuma noted that a special meeting - convened by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and attended by the heads of all major insurance firms-was held to develop a unified compensation mechanism for cyclone-related losses.

During this discussion, insurers confirmed that they have already rolled out a fast-track compensation process for affected individuals and businesses. Payments for minor property damage have begun, ensuring quick financial relief to those impacted.

For major property losses, compensation will be finalized after necessary assessments are completed. However, representatives from insurance companies assured that partial payouts will be released immediately, even before full evaluations conclude, to help families and businesses begin recovery without delay.

Milinda Moragoda, Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation, was invited by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Ananta Centre to participate in the 4th India–Japan Forum, held recently in New Delhi. In his presentation, he proposed that India consider taking the lead in a post-disaster reconstruction and recovery initiative for Sri Lanka, with Japan serving as a strategic partner in this effort.

The same theme was addressed in a recent op-ed article by Moragoda submitted to the Hindustan Times. The forum itself covered a broad range of issues related to India–Japan cooperation, including economic security, semiconductors, trade, nuclear power, digitalization, strategic minerals, and investment. During his visit to New Delhi, Moragoda also held meetings with several senior Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar; Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman; Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior policy makers. The India-Japan Forum provides a platform for Indian and Japanese leaders to shape the future of bilateral and strategic partnerships through deliberation and collaboration. The forum is convened by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and the Anantha Centre.

Sri Lanka has recorded 50,222 tourist arrivals in the first eight days of December, according to the latest data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

India continues to lead as the largest source of visitors, with 10,453 arrivals, making up 21% of the total. Russia followed with 5,420 visitors, while 4,822 tourists arrived from Germany. The United Kingdom contributed 3,823 travelers, and 2,627 French nationals visited during the same period.

With the addition of the early December arrivals, Sri Lanka’s total tourist count for 2025 has risen to 2,153,815. Of the overall arrivals, 485,249 are from India, while 195,565 visitors have come from the UK. Russia has contributed 164,013 tourists, Germany 136,081, China 124,298, and France 103,307, the SLTDA reported.

Sri Lanka’s ambitious Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, launched to consolidate donor financing and rebuild cyclone-ravaged communities, is already under heavy scrutiny. What was announced as a national, inclusive platform for recovery has shifted into a governance battle over corporate influence, opaque decision-making and inadequate safeguards.

At the centre of the controversy is the 11-member Management Committee, comprised solely of men—most of whom are chairmen, CEOs and senior directors of leading conglomerates.

Their simultaneous roles as custodians of public reconstruction money and heads of companies likely to benefit from reconstruction contracts have triggered conflict-of-interest warnings from economists, legal experts and civil society.

The Fund’s mandate, as published, grants sweeping powers: raising money, prioritising recovery projects, approving disbursements, and designing long-term development interventions.

However the public has been given no clarity on the Fund’s legal structure, whether it is constituted by Act, Gazette or executive authority. This absence of legal grounding, critics argue, exposes billions of rupees to risks of misallocation.

Even more concerning is the lack of a public procurement framework governing how reconstruction tenders will be awarded.

Without transparent criteria, independent audits, or parliamentary reporting obligations, analysts warn the Fund could become a “parallel state” operating beyond normal financial controls. Critics say this opens the door for preferential treatment, insider contracting and politicised resource distribution.

The Fund’s oversight is nominally attached to the National Disaster Management Council, but officials have not clarified whether this oversight is binding or merely advisory. In the absence of detailed rules, watchdog groups warn that supervision may be symbolic.

Civil society groups say the committee’s composition violates basic principles of disaster-governance: diversity, inclusion, technical expertise and community representation.

Entire sectors including women, regional communities, humanitarian experts, environmental specialists and local-level responders are absent from the committee. This, they argue, undermines the Fund’s credibility and threatens reconstruction outcomes.

The appointment of four presidential nominees among the six non-corporate seats further erodes confidence, fueling accusations that the platform has become an extension of executive authority rather than a participatory national recovery mechanism.

The controversy emerges amid a wider pattern. Recent all-male appointments to the Clean Sri Lanka Presidential Task Force and the Archaeological Advisory Committee signal a worrying institutional trend that sidelines women and minority communities.

Analysts warn that Sri Lanka cannot afford another credibility crisis. With expectations that the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund will grow into a multi-billion-rupee pool attracting foreign contributions, the absence of legal, ethical and procedural safeguards could jeopardise donor confidence and reconstruction timelines.

Civil society groups are urging the government to reconstitute the committee, establish a legally-binding governance structure, and implement strict conflict-of-interest and procurement regulations. Without such reforms, they argue, the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund risks becoming a symbol of exclusion rather than a vehicle for national recovery

A landslide has been reported in the Bogahapathana area of Meegahakiula, though authorities confirm that no injuries or casualties have occurred. Emergency teams moved in quickly to evacuate residents as a precaution, directing them to designated safe centers.

However, reports indicate that several families have chosen not to leave and have remained in their homes despite the risks. Officials continue to monitor ground conditions and are urging residents to follow safety instructions to prevent potential harm.

The National Audit Office’s (NAO) audit plan for 2026 has drawn attention not only for its volume 3,508 audits, the highest in recent years but for its implications on the broader economy, public-sector efficiency, and the future of good governance in Sri Lanka.

The breakdown of next year’s workload 3,484 financial audits, 12 special audits, 11 performance audits, and one environmental audit signals an expanded mandate aimed at tightening accountability within state institutions. But, it also exposes a capacity strain that may undermine the effectiveness of audit oversight unless addressed urgently.

A central concern emerged during recent deliberations of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF): whether the NAO is adequately staffed to handle this surge. The assignment of auditing Samurdhi Community-Based Banks and Samurdhi Bank Societies from 2026 adds significant weight. This welfare-linked financial network affects millions of low-income families, making rigorous auditing essential to prevent leakages, fraud, and political interference.

Officials from the Audit Office admitted the need for an additional 10–15 percent workforce, noting that pilot audits are currently being carried out through regional offices to determine actual staffing needs. COPF agreed that outsourcing may be necessary, but insisted that the Auditor General must first present concrete findings by February 2026.

 Beyond administrative challenges, experts warn that the audit findings of 2026 will have direct economic consequences. Sri Lanka’s fiscal recovery hinges on improving state-sector efficiency, meeting IMF commitments, and restoring credibility in public spending. Any weaknesses uncovered in welfare schemes, state-owned enterprises, or regulatory agencies could influence budget allocations, debt management strategies, and investor confidence.

Discussions at COPF also extended to regulations under the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, reiterating the need for transparency in the pharmaceutical sector an area where delays, opaque licensing systems, and pricing concerns have historically affected public health budgets. Strengthened audits could help identify systemic inefficiencies and policy gaps.

The committee also reviewed the Final Report on the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which outlines spending priorities for next year. NAO’s audits will play a central role in determining whether ministries comply with budgetary discipline and whether public funds deliver expected outcomes.

Good governance advocates argue that the NAO’s expanding workload reflects Parliament’s renewed interest in oversight, but caution that an audit is only as effective as its follow-up. Without timely corrective action by ministries, audit recommendations often remain unimplemented, weakening accountability.

As Sri Lanka moves into a year of intensified scrutiny, the effectiveness of the National Audit Office will influence not only public-sector governance but also the country’s economic stability. The coming year will test whether audit capacity can keep pace with the country’s growing oversight needs.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected across multiple provinces today (10), according to the Department of Meteorology. The heaviest rainfall - potentially exceeding 100 mm- is likely to occur in the Northern, North-Central, and Eastern provinces, while the Central and Uva provinces may experience fairly heavy showers of around 75 mm.

Isolated showers or thundershowers may also develop in several other parts of the island after 1:00 p.m.

The Met Department further noted that wind speeds could increase to 30–40 km/h at times over the Northern, North-Central, and North-Western provinces, as well as the Trincomalee district and the eastern slopes of the central hills.

Early-morning misty conditions are also expected in the Sabaragamuwa, Central, and Southern provinces.

Authorities have urged the public to remain cautious, particularly during thundershowers, to reduce the risk of damage caused by strong winds, lightning, and sudden localized weather events.