Sri Lankan Farmers’ Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change Predictions

Dilani Hirimuthugodage

“If eagles and grey hornbills are flying above their normal height in the sky, it signals that rain is expected soon; if seagulls are flying close to the ground, it suggests that there will be heavy rainfall. However, these patterns have now changed because of the development activities in the Lunugamwehera Tank, Bundala Salt Corporation, etc.” said Mr. Bandara, a 60 year old paddy farmer from Bundala, in Hambantota District. He attended the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) programme of a research study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), and other partner institutes.

Climate Smart Agriculture: Key to Ensuring Food Security and Rural Livelihood in Sri Lanka

By Manoj Thibbotuwawa

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s report on "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability" says; “Climate change without adaptation could potentially affect the farm livelihood and all aspects of food security including food access, utilization, and price stability.”

An Uphill Battle for Sri Lanka: Addressing the Loss and Damage of Climate-Induced Disasters

Kanchana Wickramasinghe and Athula Senaratne

Sri Lanka experienced a notable increase in the frequency and the severity of floods, droughts and landslides in the recent past. Apart from these calamities, torrential rains and extended dry periods were common anomalies in the weather pattern. Although climate change may not be the only cause for these irregularities, it is viewed as one of the main contributors for such disasters, as they are climate related.