In the month of May 2016, Sri Lanka has been experiencing back-to-back weather calamities in the form of a
blistering drought followed by disastrous stormy rains that triggered landslips and flood, killing scores of people
and rendering thousands more homeless. The havoc caused by flash floods, strong winds and lightening temporarily
rendered several city roads and suburbs impassable.
In 1956, Sri Lanka’s forests covered about 7 million acres of the country’s total land area of approximately 16 million
acres. During the past 60 years, the forest cover has been reduced from 44% to 17% and today it stands around
3 million acres.
Natural disasters are exacerbated by sand mining, destruction of mangroves, filling of water retention areas and
illegal constructions which block existing drainage systems.

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