Sri Lanka needs to adapt to climate change to ensure that its economic development can continue without disruption or setbacks, and investments in poverty reduction, food and water security and public health will not be undone. said Vidhisha Samarasekara, Climate Change Specialist at ADB.
Technical studies carried out under the project reveal that the island nation can increase its resilience through efforts involving the state, private sector, civil society and the academia.
"However, there is currently a lack of urgency about what needs to be done in various sectors," the statement said.
Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts from rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, and more frequent and intense disasters such as floods and droughts.