Attachments
SUMMARY
Sri Lanka’s high temperatures throughout the year, unique and complex hydrological regime, and exposure to extreme climate events make it highly vulnerable to climate change. A rise in extreme events and natural hazards due to climate change will considerably threaten Sri Lanka’s economy and human health. In recent years, Sri Lanka has experienced a series of recurrent crises, including the 2019 Easter Attacks and the global COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the 2022 economic crisis. These crises have severely affected marginalized communities’ capacity to withstand the impacts of even minor external shocks.
According to local authorities data, Sri Lanka’s eastern provinces are highly susceptible to floods, drought, and human-animal conflict hazards and experience high vulnerability due to the high share of low-income families and dependency on agriculture and fisheries, and few protection measures in place. Within this context, IMPACT Initiatives, in partnership with Acted, conducted an Area based Risk Assessment (ABRA) in Porativu Pattu (Vellavaly) Divisional Secretary’s Divisions (DSD) in Batticaloa district, Eastern Province, funded by the US Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
The study is anchored on the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Plan 2018-2030 and the National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation 2016- 2025. The objective is to analyse the main hazards threatening communities within the target DSD, identifying the Grama Nilahadari Divisions (GNDs) most at risk for multiple hazards. The findings intend to assist Acted, the national Government, local authorities, humanitarian partners, and affected communities to better predict, prepare for, and respond to existing and future events through resilience and adaptation initiatives targeting the most exposed and vulnerable territories and communities.