Climate Injustice in the Hill Country
Photo courtesy of Dawn
While climate change is a long term global challenge, its impact on Sri Lanka is both severe and immediate. Researchers point out that the increase in sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea caused by global warming has significantly raised the frequency and intensity of cyclones.
Due to its geography and population density, Sri Lanka’s terrain is highly vulnerable to monsoon related floods and landslides. In recent decades, the frequency and magnitude of flood and landslide disasters in the central hill region have increased. For instance, data from the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) confirms that several parts of the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces are under annual landslide risk. In this context, extreme natural disasters such as Ditwah have emerged as an external force severely affecting the economy and social infrastructure.
Cyclone Ditwah rapidly intensified and had a direct, major impact on Sri Lanka. The abnormal weather, marked by heavy precipitation and strong winds, primarily affected the Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Badulla, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts, which are the core plantation areas where the hill country Tamil community is densely settled. The continuous and heavy rainfall caused by climate change struck the settlements of this community, which were already prone to landslides. According to official data, the impact of Ditwah affected approximately 1.1 million people and over 15,000 houses were fully or partially damaged. While this disaster affected many communities, Ditwah’s impact was disproportionately severe on the hill country Tamil communities, one of the most socio-economically vulnerable groups.
Historical vulnerability
The hill country Tamil community consists of the descendants of laborers brought from South India to Ceylon during the British colonial rule in the 19th century to work on tea and rubber plantations. Although these people have been the backbone of Sri Lanka’s economy, they remain perpetually socio-economically disadvantaged. From the outset, they were denied basic human rights, citizenship and proper wages. Their citizenship was revoked by legislation enacted in 1948 and 1949, rendering them stateless and marginalized within society.
Their residences, known as line rooms, are over 150 years old, have minimal structural integrity and are unable to withstand heavy rain and wind. Although plantation workers have lived in these line rooms for generations, the land is mostly owned by estate companies. Consequently, they lack tenure rights and land deeds, which often prevents or delays them from receiving compensation and resettlement assistance from the government during disasters. Their historical poverty (lower income and higher poverty rate compared to other communities), impermanent habitation and lack of land tenure multiply their vulnerability during disasters such as Ditwah.
The areas inhabited by the hill country Tamils are situated in the central highlands, specifically on steep hillsides and near streams and rivers. This geographical setting makes them highly susceptible to natural disasters. Tea estates are often located on slopes composed of rock and clay, where rainwater cannot drain quickly. The locations where Line Rooms are built were not designed for sustainable habitation. During intense rainfall caused by climate change, the soil absorbs excessive water and loses its cohesion. This significantly increases the risk of landslides impacting Line Rooms on steep slopes. The NBRO has categorized many plantation areas as High-Risk Zones. Poor drainage and sewerage systems in these areas also impede water flow during the rainy season, accelerating Soil Erosion, which further heightens the landslide risk. The magnitude of rainfall during Cyclone Ditwah (over 400 mm in some areas) transformed these risks into a catastrophe.
The nature of livelihood
The livelihood of the hill country Tamil community is almost entirely dependent on the tea plantation industry. This singlecommodity dependence makes them easily vulnerable to disasters. Their income is largely determined by the quantity of tea leaves they pluck daily. When plantation work is disrupted, their daily income immediately ceases.
The floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah inflicted extensive damage on tea crops, factories, stores and estate roads. This damage stalls tea plantation operations for extended periods. Plantation workers, who not only lost their homes but also their jobs, face a long recovery period before returning to work and rebuilding their lives. This pushes them into a deeper poverty cycle; even a few days of lost work can directly impact a family’s essential food needs and children’s educational opportunities.
Community preparedness and access in disaster times
Despite efforts to mitigate disaster risk, significant challenges exist in the hill country communities’ preparedness and ability to access aid. Landslide and flood risk warnings for plantation areas are issued in the national languages. However, this information frequently fails to reach plantation workers in a timely, clear and localized manner. Gaps in communication lead many to disregard warnings or attempt to evacuate late.
During flood and landslide risks, workers are forced to leave their line rooms. However, evacuation centers (schools andcommunity halls) often lack adequate space, basic sanitation and security facilities. When humanitarian aid arrives, it is typically slow to reach them due to local political and administrative bottlenecks. Given their historical background as stateless people, this community faces greater challenges in demanding their needs from authorities and obtaining relief aid.
Direct impact of Cyclone Ditwah
The extraordinary heavy rainfall during Cyclone Ditwah triggered massive landslides in the central hill country. These landslides constituted the most severe direct impact of Ditwah on the hill country Tamil community.
Major landslides happened in the plantation areas. Most fatalities occurred in the early morning while people were asleep so despite warnings there was no time to evacuate. The tragic events where multiple members of the same family perished have left a deep social scar in many plantation areas.
The residences and public infrastructure of the hill country community suffered massive damage due to the wind and floods of Cyclone Ditwah. It is estimated that over 10,000 houses were completely destroyed nationwide. This includes line rooms in the Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Kandy districts. Some were completely demolished while others were partially damaged. Damage to walls, roofs, kitchens and toilets has made continued habitation impossible. About 200,000 people who lost their homes were accommodated in temporary relief camps established by the government. As these are not permanent solutions, the need for longterm resettlement has been immediately recognized.
Since many plantation schools are being used as relief camps, they will face several challenges when educational activities resume. Flood-affected and damaged hospitals and healthcare centers have caused setbacks in treating the injured. Major roads, estate roads and railway lines have been severely damaged by landslides and flood erosion. The destruction of internal estate roads and canals has caused major delays in transporting relief supplies and providing essential services.
Livelihood and economic losses
Economic and livelihood losses will be the longest term consequences of the disaster. Thousands of hectares of tea crops were buried by landslides due to continuous flooding. Young tea saplings, in particular, were completely destroyed. Hydropower stations, irrigation structures and estate buildings near workers’ quarters were damaged. Over 50,000 plantation workers have temporarily or permanently lost their jobs or are facing unemployment. The wages of plantation workers are mostly dependent on the daily quantity of tea leaves plucked. With work suspended, their daily income has completely stopped. A family’s financial situation has been immediately and severely impacted. Delays in receiving relief aid mean many are still suffering from hunger and lack of essential supplies. Small scale food crops and minor agricultural plots near plantation areas were submerged. Many families’ small livestock perished in the floods and landslides. These losses further erode the food security and asset value of an already disadvantaged community.
Compensation and resettlement challenges
Accessing the government’s compensation mechanisms is now a major struggle in the recovery efforts experienced by the hill country Tamil community. Although the government announced relief schemes, complications in their implementation intensify the community’s vulnerability.The government announced several schemes to provide relief aid to affected families and compensation to those who lost lives. However, these mechanisms are likely to face major challenges in fully addressing the needs of the hill country Tamil communities. Initial relief and compensation were announced for the families of those who died following the disaster. Relief goods and initial financial assistance are distributed through the Divisional Secretariats and Grama Niladharis.
This chain, where funds allocated by the central government reach plantation workers via provincial and divisional secretariats, is complex and causes delays. Verification of documents, authorization and fund release are delayed at every stage. Given the immense scale of the damage, the funds allocated by the government are insufficient to cover the overall needs. Consequently, aid is likely to be provided in reduced amounts to many families. Social organizations have consistently pointed out that political interference at the local level and a lack of coordination between estate management and local officials have created challenges in obtaining relief goods and funds in the past and similar challenges may arise this time too.
The legal and administrative requirements needed to successfully obtain compensation pose the biggest hurdle for this community. The majority of line room residents do not possess land deeds or legal permanent land tenure documents. The requirement to prove home ownership to receive compensation results in the rejection of many claims. To receive compensation and reconstruction grants, several official documents are necessary, including death certificates for the deceased, birth certificates for family members and assessment reports proving property damage. In this community, which has lived under long term marginalization, there are immense challenges in obtaining and preparing these documents. The compensation application forms, procedures and guidelines often do not reach the plantation areas completely or clearly in the Tamil language, leading to confusion and errors in submitting applications.
Insurance coverage plays a key role in addressing economic losses caused by disasters. However, it is highly inadequate for the hill country community affected by Ditwah. Line rooms are not owned by the workers; they belong to the estate companies. Due to the lack of ownership over the property, workers cannot individually insure their residences. Most estate companies only insure their business assets. They refuse to take financial responsibility for insuring the line rooms where the workers live. Consequently, when line rooms are destroyed by Ditwah, workers cannot directly receive any insurance money. Due to the low income of the community, individual families are unable to invest in private insurance schemes.
Beyond compensation, providing safe and permanent resettlement for the hill country people affected by Ditwah and living in landslide prone areas is the government’s biggest responsibility. The complexity in selecting safe new residences must also be noted. Landslide free, safe and habitable lands are scarce in districts like Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. If new residences are far from the plantation workers’ workplaces, it increases their daily commuting costs and reduces their income. Therefore, selecting lands that integrate safety with economic accessibility is challenging. There are persistent allegations that political interference and regional factors influence land allocation for new settlements with politically influential individuals receiving land instead of the deserving.
Recommendations
Sustainable resettlement is a key focus in rebuilding the affected hill country Tamil communities. Relocating them from hazardous line rooms is essential. The government must immediately identify new land areas that are free from landslide risk, following the advice of the NBRO. It is vital that these lands are accessible to the plantation workers’ workplaces. It must provide land deeds to affected families for the new houses built during resettlement is a basic necessity. This ensures their security and provides financial and social protection. When new settlements are established, it is essential to create community living projects with social centers, places of worship and collective transport facilities to preserve the community’s cultural and social ties.
Accessing international climate finance for the permanent and irrevocable non-economic losses caused by extreme climate events is an urgent need. The scale of the losses caused by the cyclone is too immense to be covered by the country’s domestic resources. Therefore, the government must put forward strong claims to receive funding from the Loss and Damage Fund established under the COP30 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Prioritizing the reconstruction needs of the most affected hill country Tamil community within this funding will uphold climate justice.
Fully enhancing the hill country communities’ disaster preparedness is vital for facing future climate risks. Landslide and flood warnings from the NBRO and the Disaster Management Centre must be made available to the plantation population immediately, accurately and in Tamil. New technological methods (SMS services) are currently being utilized to deliver this information to the people in a timely manner through local level leaders. Continuous training on evacuation routes, shelters and self-protection measures during landslides and floods must be provided to the communities. It is also necessary to establish well-trained Community-Based Organizations in every plantation division to coordinate disaster management tasks.
Although the direct impact of Cyclone Ditwah has ended, its socio-economic consequences continue to linger in the hill country Tamil community. The impermanence of housing, the loss of livelihood, and administrative delays in receiving relief reaffirm that climate change is a crisis intertwined with social injustice.The government is now compelled to cease neglecting the insecurity of this community and take a strong policy decision to completely reform the ancient line room housing system. To achieve resilience, a comprehensive approach is now required that ensures both the housing rights and the livelihood security of the hill country people.
