In the Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, where the Gal Oya meets the sea, farmers, fishermen and families are facing an ongoing crisis. It is one shaped by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and increasing natural disasters. The issue of climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a daily reality for these communities, flooding their homes, destroying their crops and disrupting their livelihoods.

The Gal Oya is a 108 kilometre river that was dammed in 1948, creating the Senanayake Samudra reservoir.  In both January and December of 2024, the surrounding region was hit by major floods as a result of intense cyclonic conditions and heavy rainfall. These weather patterns are becoming more frequent and more extreme. Flash floods, river overflows and dam releases from the reservoir have combined to create devastating downstream impacts.

To read the full story visit https://groundviews.org/2025/05/28/how-climate-change-is-affecting-eastern-sri-lanka/

Photo credit: Mia Abeyawardene