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Sri Lanka has taken a significant step toward modernising its disaster-management framework with the launch of the GeoAI for Disaster Resilience initiative, an ambitious programme that combines Artificial Intelligence with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to strengthen early warnings, emergency response and long-term planning.

Launched in Colombo amid sombre reflections on the recent devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the initiative signals a shift in how the country plans to confront increasingly frequent climate-related disasters.

Proceedings began with a minute’s silence to honour victims of the cyclone, which affected more than one million people, caused extensive loss of life and damage, and has been described as the most destructive natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The economic recovery has also suffered setbacks, with large-scale reconstruction still underway.

Addressing the gathering, ADRIMP President Sarath Premalal said Sri Lanka could no longer rely on traditional disaster-response models. He stressed that climate risks were intensifying each year and called for predictive, technology-driven solutions that allow authorities to anticipate hazards rather than merely respond to them. According to him, GeoAI provides responders with critical foresight, improving preparedness and potentially saving lives.

The year-long programme brings together over 20 government officials and 125 university students, supported by the United States Embassy in Sri Lanka. It aims to build a pipeline of disaster-technology specialists capable of applying advanced data tools to national emergencies.

GeoAI Project Lead Dr. Novil Wijesekara described the initiative as a system-wide transformation rather than a standalone technology project. He explained that the programme would strengthen the entire disaster-response ecosystem, integrating real-time data, predictive modelling and advanced analytics. This approach, he said, would help Sri Lanka move from reactive crisis management to intelligence-led preparedness.

Digital Economy Ministry Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala highlighted the importance of digital integration, noting that fragmented data systems often delay decision-making during emergencies. He said GeoAI would help unify data across agencies, enabling faster coordination and more effective national responses.

Disaster Management Centre Director General Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda emphasised operational benefits, stating that early warnings and accurate forecasts can provide crucial lead time during floods, landslides and cyclones.

With training planned in hazard mapping, drone-based data analysis and real-time response applications, the GeoAI initiative is expected to strengthen national resilience and position Sri Lanka as a regional leader in AI-powered disaster preparedness.

• Focus on strengths and small tasks: Activities such as cleaning, sorting documents, checking on relatives, and helping neighbours can restore a sense of control.
• Stay connected, especially with vulnerable groups: Check on pregnant mothers, young children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and anyone with long-term illnesses or mental health conditions.
• Reassure children: Keep routines as normal as possible and explain the situation in simple terms.
• Use spiritual and cultural practices safely: Prayers, meditation, and community rituals can offer comfort.
• Continue regular medications: Seek help from the nearest medical officer if needed.
• Limit distressing news: Follow only official updates to avoid unnecessary fear.
• Avoid rumours: Do not share unverified information or distressing images.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs: These worsen problems and should not be used for coping.
• Do not exploit the situation: The College reminded the public to act responsibly.

The Cabinet-approved GEF-funded coastal conservation project marks an important policy signal, but it also raises deeper questions about Sri Lanka’s institutional readiness to protect its marine and coastal ecosystems amid mounting environmental and economic pressures.

With US$ 2.66 million in grant financing and technical support from the IUCN, the four-year initiative aims to quantify and integrate the economic value of coastal and marine ecosystems into national development plans. Targeting key coastal districts such as Galle, Mannar, Puttalam and Trincomalee, the project seeks to generate data-driven evidence on the contribution of ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds to livelihoods, climate resilience and economic stability.

From a governance perspective, the project arrives at a critical moment. Over the past year, the Government has focused heavily on macroeconomic stabilisation, debt restructuring and fiscal consolidation, often leaving environmental governance on the periphery. Coastal conservation agencies remain under-resourced, while enforcement of existing regulations continues to lag behind policy intent.

The absence of quantified natural capital values has historically made it easier for development priorities to override environmental concerns. Coastal roads, ports, hotels and aquaculture ventures have frequently proceeded without fully accounting for long-term ecological damage. By attempting to assign measurable economic value to ecosystems, the new project could strengthen the hand of regulators and planners in negotiating trade-offs between development and conservation.

Yet challenges remain. Sri Lanka’s coastal management framework is fragmented across multiple institutions, including the Coast Conservation Department, the Marine Environment Protection Authority and local authorities. Coordination gaps, political interference and capacity shortages have limited the effectiveness of conservation measures, even when strong policy frameworks exist on paper.

The Government’s one-year performance shows incremental progress rather than structural reform. While international partnerships and donor-funded projects continue to play a central role, domestic investment in marine research, monitoring and enforcement remains modest. Without parallel efforts to strengthen institutions and accountability mechanisms, natural capital valuation risks becoming a technical exercise with limited real-world impact.

Moreover, coastal communities particularly small-scale fishers and lagoon-dependent households face immediate pressures from climate change, declining fish stocks and pollution. Translating ecosystem valuation into tangible benefits for these communities will be essential for maintaining public trust and long-term conservation outcomes.

The initiative therefore represents a starting point rather than a solution. If the Government can embed its findings into budgetary processes, environmental impact assessments and coastal zoning decisions, it could mark a shift toward evidence-based marine governance. Failure to do so would reinforce concerns that Sri Lanka’s conservation agenda remains project-driven rather than policy-driven.

The Sri Lanka Association of Meteorologists has defended the Department of Meteorology, stating that officials followed all required Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) when issuing alerts ahead of Cyclone Ditwah. According to the Association, the warnings enabled fishing and naval communities to prepare early and avoid loss of life.

The clarification comes in response to public criticism alleging that the Met Department failed to issue timely warnings about the cyclone.

The Association noted that Cyclone Ditwah formed and intensified at an unusually rapid pace—transitioning from a low-pressure system into a storm in just 12 hours. Such rapid intensification, they said, has become more common due to global warming and sudden shifts in atmospheric patterns.

They also acknowledged the limitations of Sri Lanka’s existing early-warning system and stressed the urgent need for upgrades to ensure more precise forecasts during extreme weather events. Work to strengthen these systems is already underway, they added.

Meteorologists first identified early signs of atmospheric instability related to Ditwah on November 23. This information, the Association said, was immediately communicated to fishing and naval communities, along with a public advisory about the likelihood of a developing low-pressure area around November 25.

On November 24, while the system was still distant in the central Bay of Bengal, updated marine warnings—including an Amber alert—were issued based on new observations. The evolving situation was shared with both the public and key stakeholders.

The Association also rejected claims circulating online that the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast the cyclone as early as November 13. It called these claims inaccurate, noting that no forecasting system in the world can reliably predict cyclone formation weeks in advance.

According to the Association, the IMD—Sri Lanka’s designated Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre—officially reported the system’s initial development only in its bulletin issued at 2.30 p.m. on November 23, 2025.

Sri Lanka’s economic recovery narrative was sharply challenged this week by a stark warning from a senior global development financier: prosperity will remain elusive as long as the country continues to look inward.

The comment, made by International Finance Corporation (IFC) South Asia Regional Director Imad Fakhoury, has reignited debate about the direction of governance one year into the current administrationan era critics describe as marked by backward thinking, policy hesitation and an arrogance that masks failure with excuses.

Speaking at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit, Fakhoury argued that Sri Lanka must decisively reposition itself as an outward-looking, export-driven and sustainable investment destination.

His message stands in contrast to the prevailing tone of governance, where ministers frequently cite past administrations, global shocks and institutional constraints to justify slow reform and weak delivery.

“Sri Lanka cannot get rich by looking inward,” Fakhoury implied, pointing to decades of stop-start policies that have repeatedly eroded investor confidence.

While acknowledging Sri Lanka’s impressive social indicators low poverty levels, strong human development outcomes and one of South Asia’s highest per-capita incomes he described the country as trapped in a damaging paradox: notable development gains repeatedly undone by policy inconsistency and recurring economic crises, most recently in 2022.

The IFC’s assessment is uncomfortable for a government that came to power promising competence and renewal. One year on, business leaders complain of an administration overly focused on managing optics rather than confronting structural weaknesses.

 Protectionist instincts, regulatory overreach and delayed decisions have reinforced perceptions of an inward-looking mindset, despite official rhetoric about competitiveness and reform.

Fakhoury stressed that Sri Lanka’s international brand must pivot toward green sustainability, export orientation and openness to global capital.

He highlighted the country’s potential to function as a regional transshipment hub while developing “islands of excellence” in digital services, agribusiness, specialised manufacturing and diversified tourism. However, he was clear that none of this ambition is achievable without policy predictability and continuous improvement in the business environment.

Despite governance concerns, the IFC continues to maintain a significant presence in Sri Lanka, with around $270 million in long-term investments across roughly a dozen companies, alongside advisory work and short-term financing. This commitment reflects confidence in the country’s underlying potential rather than approval of current policymaking.

 

Fakhoury’s message amounts to a direct challenge to Sri Lanka’s leadership: stability alone is not success. Without outward-looking policies, credible reforms and humility in governance, Sri Lanka risks repeating a familiar cycle temporary recovery followed by renewed decline.

Sri Lanka’s microfinance landscape is at a critical inflection point as the clock nears the enactment of the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Act 2025, a law intended to overhaul a largely unregulated credit sector that has long burdened low-income borrowers and burdened lenders alike.

At present, only a handful of microfinance companies about four are formally regulated under the 2016 framework, leaving tens of thousands of informal lenders and community moneylenders outside recognised oversight.

Microcredit has historically offered a lifeline for poor households, rural entrepreneurs, and women seeking small business capital or emergency cash when banks would not lend. These services aim to support income generation, asset building and financial inclusion.

Still Sri Lanka’s poverty rate nearly 24.5 percent of the population remains high, illustrating the fragile economic conditions underpinning microfinance demand.

Despite good intentions, the current system has fuelled mounting distress. Parliamentary committees are now collecting data on borrowers unable to repay microfinance loans in regions including Nuwara Eliya, Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa and Colombo, signalling growing concern about defaults and financial stress.

Civil society and advocacy groups warn that predatory interest rates sometimes more than 40 percent  and aggressive recovery tactics have pushed households deeper into hardship, especially women who make up a large share of borrowers.

For lenders, the absence of a strong regulatory regime has meant unclear lending standards and inconsistent risk management practices.

This environment impedes institutional robustness and contributes to uneven credit risk across portfolios. Regulators and microfinance practitioners report that the sector’s formal share of total credit is modest,but unregulated lending accounts for a much larger, opaque portion of the market.

The pending 2025 Act aims to establish a dedicated authority to license and supervise both traditional moneylenders and microfinance institutions, enforce consumer protection standards, and introduce transparent interest and collection practices.

Policymakers hope this will curb abusive lending while strengthening formal sector discipline.

Nonetheless, critics caution that enforcement alone will not resolve underlying socioeconomic pressures.

With the economy still recovering from a protracted financial crisis and natural disaster shocks pushing more families particularly in rural and war-affected areas into borrowing, structural vulnerabilities are deeply entrenched. Microfinance’s promise of poverty alleviation hangs in the balance between greater regulation and the real lived hardships of borrowers.

Police announced today that they have requested medical reports for all drivers involved in last night’s accident in Sapugaskanda—including former Speaker and current MP Ashoka Ranwala—to determine whether any of them were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.

The incident occurred when a jeep driven by MP Ranwala reportedly collided head-on with another vehicle. The Sapugaskanda Police have launched a full investigation into the crash.

Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler told the media that two individuals injured in the accident, including Ranwala, are currently being treated at the Colombo National Hospital. A six-month-old infant injured in the collision has been admitted to the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.

ASP Wootler said medical reports have been formally requested to assess whether alcohol played a role in the crash, and that police will proceed based on the results. He added that officers were unable to record a statement from MP Ranwala yesterday as he remained under medical care. The alcohol test report is expected later this afternoon.

No arrests have been made at this stage, and investigations are continuing.

The Disaster Management Center (DMC) reports that more than 5,700 houses have been completely destroyed due to the severe adverse weather conditions experienced recently across the country. 

According to the latest data released by the DMC, the highest number of houses damaged has been reported from the Kandy District, with 1,568 houses completely destroyed and 14,111 houses partially damaged. 

The Nuwara Eliya District has reported the second-highest number of houses damaged, where 767 houses have been completely destroyed and 3,742 houses partially damaged. 

Meanwhile, 627 houses have been completely destroyed and 20,813 houses partially damaged in the Puttalam District, marking it as the district with the third-highest number of damaged houses.

In addition to these districts, 594 houses in Kurunegala, 578 in Badulla, 317 in Kegalle, 234 in Anuradhapura, and 225 in Polonnaruwa have also been completely destroyed. 

The DMC stated that the highest number of individuals affected by the disaster has been reported from the Colombo District, where 330,443 people belonging to 86,147 families have been impacted. 

Breakdown of the districts affected:

Puttalam District: 287,364 individuals from 80,375 families
Kandy District: 171,127 individuals from 54,716 families
Trincomalee District: 90,140 individuals from 27,234 families
Kurunegala District: 88,899 individuals from 26,474 families
Mannar District: 77,694 individuals from 23,704 families
Kegalle District: 83,482 individuals from 23,324 families
Anuradhapura District: 74,084 individuals from 22,562 families
Badulla District: 73,547 individuals from 22,257 families
Ratnapura District: 74,277 individuals from 19,092 families

The DMC also reports that the death toll resulting from the prevailing disaster has risen to 640. 

The highest number of deaths due to the recent adverse weather has been reported from the Kandy District, which has recorded 234 fatalities. 

The second highest number of deaths has been reported from the Badulla District, which is 90, the DMC has stated in its latest report issued this afternoon (12).

This is followed by 89 deaths in Nuwara Eliya, 61 in Kurunegala, 36 in Puttalam, 32 in Kegalle, and 29 in Matale District. 

According to the report, 82,813 people belonging to 26,103 families are currently staying in 847 displacement camps across the island. 

The largest number of safety shelters have been established in the Kandy District, where 27,227 people belonging to 7,952 families are staying in 279 camps. 

The Nuwara Eliya District records the second-largest number of camps, with 20,825 individuals from 6,652 families staying in 211 safe locations.

The report further states that 147 safe locations have been set up in the Badulla District, accommodating 17,444 individuals from 5,856 families, while 104 safe locations established in the Kegalle District are housing 8,658 individuals from 2,980 families. 

(Source - Adaderana.lk)

As of 2025, Sri Lanka records the highest average IQ in South Asia, with a national score of 102—placing the country among the top 12 worldwide, according to data from the International IQ Test (IIT).

The findings are based on results from 1,352,763 individuals across the globe who completed the same standardized IQ assessment on the IIT platform. The study also draws on extensive research on national intelligence levels conducted by psychologist Richard Lynn and his collaborator Tatu Vanhanen. IQ outcomes often reflect factors such as education quality, healthcare access, and environmental conditions in each region.

Sri Lanka’s average IQ score surpasses the global mean of 100. A total of 2,840 Sri Lankan participants took part in the assessment. China ranks first globally with an average IQ of 107.

Multiple elements contribute to a nation’s average IQ. Health factors—including infectious diseases—play a role, as do nutrition and intellectual engagement. A 2024 study found that children with healthier diets tend to score higher on IQ tests. Other research shows that regular participation in mentally stimulating activities, such as chess (2022 study), can improve cognitive performance. A classic 1962 study also reported that bilingual children outperform monolingual children on intelligence tests. Genetics is another major factor; a 2013 study of twins suggested that between 50% and 80% of IQ variation can be attributed to genetic influences.

According to IIT, “Countries with strong healthcare systems, healthy dietary practices, and a culture that encourages intellectual development tend to show higher average IQ scores.”

https://international-iq-test.com/en/test/IQ_by_country

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became the central headline of The Game Awards 2025 after sweeping nine awards across major categories, including the top honour, Game of the Year. 

Developed by the French studio Sandfall Interactive, the role-playing title broke the event’s all-time record, surpassing the previous benchmark of seven wins. Released in April 2025, the dark fantasy RPG had already attracted critical attention, but its awards performance pushed it into an entirely new sphere of visibility. 

The scale of its sweep quickly dominated online discussions, with scenes, characters, and music from the game trending across platforms throughout the night.

Awards across categories

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s nine awards covered narrative, artistic direction, performance, and genre excellence. The full list includes:

Game of the Year
Best Game Direction
Best Narrative
Best Art Direction
Best Score & Music
Best Performance (Jennifer English)
Best Role-Playing Game
Best Independent Game
Best Debut Indie Game

The mix of awards reflects the game’s broad impact, spanning both creative and technical categories, and highlights how a debut studio managed to compete on equal terms with established global developers.

A breakout moment for a debut studio

The reaction within the industry centred on the significance of Sandfall Interactive’s emergence. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the studio’s first major release, and yet it moved fluidly across categories typically dominated by larger teams. Winning both Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game while simultaneously taking home Game of the Year underscored how the traditional boundaries between indie and mainstream development continue to shift.

Its world-building, layered narrative structure, and visual identity were key points of discussion among critics. Jennifer English’s performance, which earned her the Best Performance award, became another focal point online as clips and scenes resurfaced after the ceremony. The soundtrack and art direction also generated renewed attention, reinforcing why the game had swept so many of the evening’s creative categories

(Source - Money Control)

The Department of the Registrar General has decided to issue death certificates for 193 individuals who went missing due to landslides and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwa.

According to a special gazette notification issued by the government on December 2, if a person goes missing during an emergency disaster situation and no information is received for two weeks, a death certificate may be issued. The Registrar General’s Department noted that this provision will now be applied to expedite compensation payments for the affected families.

As of now, 203 people remain unaccounted for due to the disaster. The department says all necessary legal procedures are already in place, and if a Grama Niladhari confirms that a person from the area is missing because of the disaster, the District Deputy Registrar is authorized to issue the death certificate.

If no objections are raised regarding the missing person, the application will be approved by the Deputy or Assistant Registrar General empowered by the Registrar General, following the recommendation of the Divisional Secretary.

Meanwhile, a special mobile service will be held tomorrow (13) and the day after (14) in the Central Province to issue death certificates, including those for missing persons, as well as to provide other civil registration services.

Central Province Deputy Registrar General Tharanga Subashini stated that all services at these mobile units will be provided free of charge. Copies of lost marriage, birth, and death certificates will also be issued on-site.

The mobile service locations are as follows:

December 13
Venue: Udahenthenna, No. 1 Tamil Maha Vidyalaya, Paragala Janapadaya
Time: From 9:00 a.m.
More Information: 081-2224470

December 14
Venue: Divisional Secretariat – Doluwa
Time: From 9:00 a.m.
More Information: 081-2224470