Nature First, Man Second
Photo courtesy of The Weather Channel
Sri Lanka experienced unprecedented rainfall in the final days of November with Matale recording 540 millimeters, the highest daily rainfall reported during the period. According to Professor of Hydrology and Agrophysics Lakshman Galagedara, the highest daily rainfall on record remains 494 millimeters in Ratmalana in 1992, followed by 397 millimeters in Ratnapura in 1996.
What made this event exceptional was the widespread nature of the rainfall with heavy downpours also reported across the central highlands. The massive volume of water overwhelmed the soil and river systems, which lacked adequate reservoirs and flood control mechanisms.
The situation deteriorated further with the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, triggering severe floods and landslides nationwide. Power failures, communication breakdowns and traffic disruptions compounded the crisis, resulting in significant loss of life and extensive property damage.
According to meteorologists and ecologists, cyclones are increasingly driven by human-induced environmental damage. Winds exceeding 19 kilometers per hour are classified as cyclonic, regardless of whether they are termed cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons. Rising global temperatures, largely caused by deforestation and other harmful human activities, are intensifying these weather systems. As long as humanity fails to adopt environmentally restorative practices, global warming will continue to accelerate climate change. The Indian Ocean region is particularly vulnerable and as an island nation Sri Lanka remains highly exposed to these escalating impacts.
Blocking the water flow
Sri Lanka already has environmental laws capable of supporting sustainable development but poor enforcement remains the core problem, according to the Environmental Justice Center. The organization says existing regulations are routinely ignored, allowing continued environmental damage.
Environmental lawyer Ravindra Dabare notes that new legislation is unnecessary unless current laws prove inadequate. Instead, he stresses the need for a change in attitude among certain government officials. For decades, he says, environmentally harmful projects have been approved – often amid allegations of personal gain, a charge that cannot be easily dismissed.
Local government bodies, including urban and regional councils, are legally empowered to act against environmental violations such as blocking waterways, reclaiming wetlands and obstructing drainage systems. They also have authority to take action against unauthorized constructions and illegal landfills within their jurisdictions.
However, these powers have rarely been enforced over the past several decades. Municipal councils such as Kolonnawa and Gampaha are among those cited as failing to act, allowing violations to persist despite clear legal authority.
Although the police are legally empowered to act against the reclamation of low lying lands and the blocking of canals and drainage systems in public spaces, enforcement remains largely absent. In contrast, police action is most visible during public protests, demonstrations and hartals, often carried out under political or public pressure.
The obstruction of natural water channels disrupts the flow of rainwater, significantly increasing the risk of floods and landslides. In response, legislation enacted in 2000 prohibited the reclamation of rainwater retention areas larger than one perch. Despite this, illegal reclamation continues to be widely reported, particularly in sensitive ecosystems such as the Colombo wetland system and Muthurajawela.
The rapid reclamation of paddy lands and natural water bodies that traditionally collect and slowly release rainwater has continued for decades, worsening flood risks. While the Department of Agrarian Services has legal authority to act against such practices, enforcement has been weak. In cases involving paddy land, the law allows authorities to order restoration to its original state. However, this requires certification from the department confirming that the land in question is not paddy land, a process that often delays or prevents action.
Several other laws including the Soil Conservation Act and the Flood Protection Ordinance of 1924 – regulations protecting land reservations along tanks, rivers, streams, highways and railways and the Urban Development Authority Act – provide legal tools to reduce environmental damage and disaster risks. Yet despite the existence of flood control laws for over a century, river basin management remains deeply flawed.
Experts argue that if these outdated legal frameworks cannot address today’s climate-driven crises, they must be updated and strengthened. The current situation calls for a comprehensive rethink of watershed conservation, sustainable land use, climate adaptation and river basin management.
Above 5,000 feet
Unlike other regions, the central Highlands have very few tanks including the Bogambara Tank in Kandy and the Gregory Tank in Nuwara Eliya. In contrast, most large reservoirs constructed in later years are concentrated around the highland region. The Mahaweli Project, originally planned to span three decades, was fast tracked after the 1977 UNP government came to power and completed within six years, resulting in the abandonment of several original design principles.
The central highlands above 5,000 feet cover nearly 75,000 hectares. Of this area, 68 percent remains forested while about 27 percent is under cultivation. Around four percent consists of urban and residential land with the remaining area made up of small, fragmented land uses.
Cities and settlements, including Nuwara Eliya, occupy about four percent of the central highlands, with an estimated population of 400,000 to 700,000 people. If these areas are to be cleared due to environmental risk, the government bears full responsibility for resettlement and for ensuring sustainable livelihoods.
Most of the recent landslides were reported between 2,000 and 4,500 feet above sea level, highlighting the urgent need to designate the middle hill country as a landslide prone zone. Experts stress the importance of establishing early warning systems and clearly identified safe evacuation points.
Of the 68 percent forest cover in the upper hills, significant portions consist of reserved lands managed by the Departments of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, the Commissioner of State Lands and the Land Reform Commission. Environmental advocates argue that all lands under the LRC should be declared reserved forests to strengthen slope stability and disaster prevention.
Poorly maintained tea plantations are a major contributor to soil erosion in the hill country with allegations against plantation companies accused of maximizing profits at the expense of land and labor difficult to dismiss. In addition, intensive vegetable cultivation on steep slopes, driven by quick returns, has caused significant environmental damage.
Experts say soil erosion in tea estates can be reduced through multi-cropping practices, timely geological assessments and proper maintenance of drainage systems that allow rainwater to flow safely.
Sri Lanka already has legal tools to address the problem. The Soil Conservation Act No. 25 of 1951, enacted by the Ministry of Agriculture, provides mechanisms to minimize disasters in mountainous and sloping areas. However, the key challenge remains implementation, not legislation.
Soil conservation measures in the hill country have existed for seven to eight decades and the law also provides for the establishment of a Soil Conservation Board and a dedicated fund, both of which experts say must be strengthened and fully operationalized.
Local government authorities bear primary responsibility for approving construction on the slopes and mountains of the central highlands. Such development should only be permitted based on a rigorous environmental impact assessment.
Environmentalist and lawyer Jagath Gunawardena emphasizes that even income generating institutions, public buildings and religious sites in high risk areas must be evaluated under uniform, impartial criteria to protect the common good – a responsibility that rests squarely with local authorities.
Disaster management
Public trust in the forecasts and warnings of the Department of Meteorology remains low. Lessons from recent disasters highlight the urgent need to educate communities about weather risks and promote greater sensitivity to changing conditions. The media plays a critical role in raising awareness and ensuring timely information reaches the public.
Experts stress the importance of modernizing early warning systems using new technologies and strengthening formal coordination among disaster management institutions. Existing legal frameworks, including the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005, provide a foundation but effective implementation remains key to reducing risks.
Sri Lanka now has a robust legal framework for disaster management covering national policies, preparedness, response and inter-agency coordination. Under this framework, the National Disaster Management Council and the Disaster Management Center were established to oversee implementation.
The Climate Change Policy introduced a National Disaster Management Plan for 2023–2030 prioritizing disaster response, institutional responsibilities, early warning systems and public participation.
Internationally, climate adaptation has been a focus for years; for example, the 2015 World Climate Change Conference emphasized developing systems for predicting and adapting to climate-related risks.
This disaster has starkly demonstrated humanity’s vulnerability to nature. The total damage is estimated at seven billion dollars, encompassing not only loss of life and property but also significant impacts on sensitive ecosystems, native wildlife and forests.
