Sri Lanka: The Second Most Affected Country by Climate Change

The inevitable effects of global warming and climate change are no longer limited to Africa, or the West for that matter. We cannot brush it off and turn a blind eye to a reality that needs to be addressed soon.

The Global Climate Risk Index 2019 was presented at the United Nations Environmental Summit, Poland. It’s an Index that studies extreme weather events and their losses across the globe.

The main aim of the index is to give countries a warning ahead of time to be prepared for more frequent and severe climate disasters.

According to the latest report based on 2017 data, Sri Lanka is second only to Puerto Rico in the list of countries most affected by climate change.

What’s even more alarming was that we were placed 4^th by the Index in the previous year, and 98^th the year before. We’ve topped the charts faster than any other country in the world.

The strong monsoon rains in the southwestern regions of Sri Lanka that caused heavy landslides and floods in May 2017 had been considered by the Index. Accordingly, this was the worst rain in an Indian Ocean island since 2003 - resulting in a death toll of over 200, affecting 12 districts, and displacing over 600,000 individuals.

The year before, a landslide disaster followed by heavy rains buried 3 villages in Aranayake with its 127 people. It also affected 22 of the 25 districts in the country. A recurring trend to these disasters can further be observed as heavy storms hit the North in late December 2018. This rainfall was the highest recorded in a single day since 1983.

According to JBA Risk Management, floods can commonly be observed in Sri Lanka during monsoon seasons. However, they have now turned more intense - affecting more people every year.

The Global Climate Risk Index goes on to prove that developing countries are more affected than the industrialized countries by climate change. 8 out of 10 most affected countries in the list were underdeveloped countries.

While our leaders continue to ignore the obvious, we as citizens who suffer the biggest consequences, shouldn't. Reducing our individual carbon emissions by switching to a sustainable, more eco-friendly lifestyle is a good place to start.

Written by:

Rtr. Shafeeka Hafeez
Co-Editor (2018/19)