How are you, Sri Lanka?

From misty mountains to palm-fringed beaches to sprawling forests, this maritime Pearl of the Indian Ocean is threatened by rising seas, severe cyclones, and sweltering heat exacerbated by climate change.

A traditional tea plucking method in Haputale

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Sri Lanka will endure more extreme heat and rising sea levels without joint and urgent attention to climate change adaptation.

An island nation endowed with diverse geography and climate, Sri Lanka is prone to various climate risks like rainfall variability, increasing temperature, and sea-level rise. It is an overall mix of coastal topography, where nearly 50% of its inhabitants live, and mountainous areas in the south-central region.

It is estimated that by the 2030s, approximately 230,000–400,000 people could reside in exposed floodplains, growing to 400,000 to 500,000 by the 2060s. , Flooding also causes an estimated annual loss of US $240 million, which accounts for almost two-thirds of total disaster losses in an average year.

What do the experts say?

According to the INFORM risk index based on exposure, hazard, vulnerability, and lack of coping capacity, Sri Lanka ranks 95 out of 191 countries. The country falls in the medium-risk class but is susceptible to various climate change events.

Climate change events will lead to a decline in GDP by 7.7%. Historical records from 1961 and 1990 indicate an increase of 1°C daytime maximum temperature. Sea level is estimated to rise between 0.2 to 0.6 meters by mid-century. This will impact the lives of the coastal communities.

Owing to developmental activities and urbanization, carbon emissions are increasing. Globally, Sri Lanka accounts for 0.9 per capita emissions, of which most result from the energy sector, transportation, agricultural practices, and heavy dependence on fossil fuels.

Sri Lanka is committed to fulfilling its NDC objectives of integrating climate adaptation and mitigation into a sustainable development vision. The country has also formulated the National Climate Change Policy 2015, and National Adaptation for Climate Change Impacts 2015 to reduce climate risks and explore mitigation measures.

Is this information sufficient?

Yes

No

What do you need to know about Sri Lanka?

Bypass all the climate clutter and avoid tedious, lengthy web searches by taking note of the following short and important climate change figures for Sri Lanka: