Business

After Cyclone Ditwah: Climate-proofing Sri Lanka’s health system

Published

4 months ago

2025/12/3

As Sri Lanka currently counts human and economic costs of Cyclone Ditwah, the images are both disturbing and somewhat familiar: flooded hospitals, access roads buried by landslides, evacuation centres overflowing with displaced families, and officials in health and disaster management services scrambling to meet everyone’s needs. The death toll is at 355 and rising, with hundreds more missing and over 200,000 displaced, with effects being borne disproportionately in the central hills and low-lying river basins across the country. It has once again placed the spotlight on the preparedness of our disaster response ecosystem, and with climate-related disasters no longer a few and far between, Cyclone Ditwah is a tragic but predictable reminder and caution of the same vulnerabilities that have persisted for years.

A recent chapter of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka’s (IPS) State of the Economy report examines how climate risks intersect with Sri Lanka’s health infrastructure, disease profiles, and governance. In the aftermath of Ditwah, there must be an urgent call to reassess Sri Lanka’s disaster preparedness.

Cyclone Ditwah and Vulnerabilities in Health and Communities

Dr Pulasthi Amarasinghe_IPS / Usha Perera_IPS

A considerable number of hospitals and divisional medical centres of Sri Lanka operate in flood-prone and landslide-risk areas throughout the country. Figure 1 shows that the analysis of health facilities against national hazard information reveals the location of hospitals by type that exist in districts that currently face the most severe Ditwah impacts in the central highlands and Sabaragamuwa, Gampaha, and Colombo’s surrounding low-lying urban areas. When rivers overflow, health facilities themselves become vulnerable, not just lifelines.

Moreover, the physical exposure quickly becomes an epidemiological risk. Flood-prone districts tend to report some of the highest average annual numbers of dengue and leptospirosis cases. While access to routine care and emergency transport is disrupted, heavy rainfall and poor drainage create ideal conditions for the spread of vector- and waterborne diseases. Ditwah will therefore not only create an immediate trauma burden, but likely a second wave of climate-sensitive illnesses among people in the most exposed communities.

Climate projections suggest more intense and frequent extreme weather, with a large share of Sri Lanka’s population expected to live in climate “hotspots” by mid-century. However, the transformation of the health system to address the climate reality is occurring at a slower pace than the rate at which climate change is affecting Sri Lanka.

Data and Coordination Lag Behind Frontline Needs

Sri Lanka has strong technical capacity in many parts of its health system and a national Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with a mandate for early warning and response. Yet the overall architecture of disaster and climate risk governance remains fragmented, with the Ministry of Health and the DMC, particularly at the local level, and other agencies linked more by ad hoc coordination. This severely undermines the preparation of relevant stakeholders, even in highly predictable natural disasters such as Ditwah.

In the IPS State of the Economy findings on the topic, health officials and frontline workers report how, even in “normal” times, they juggle multiple unconnected reporting formats and databases. During a large-scale disaster like Ditwah, district health authorities would benefit from real-time information on displaced individuals and households, facilities and their occupancy, and the availability of medicine and staff. Currently, much of this is still pieced together informally or in silos rather than through integrated dashboards that bring hazard, health, and facilities data together.

Additionally, the health-disaster ecosystem loses its ability to monitor diseases as dengue, leptospirosis, and diarrheal diseases, which need to be tracked during heavy rainfall and after floodwaters recede. The current system fails to connect meteorological data with health information systems and prevents the conversion of weather alerts into specific health warnings for local areas. Ditwah is therefore exposing not only weaknesses in physical infrastructure, but also the absence of a joined-up “climate and health” information system.

Digital Fortification: What We Must Build Before the Next Ditwah

One of the core ideas in the IPS report chapter is the need for “digital fortification” of the health sector. A quick and effective solution is an integrated emergency coordination platform that connects the DMC, Ministry of Health, provincial and district health offices, hospitals, and field staff. It can provide a shared picture of affected populations, and regularly update the status of health facilities, bed and drug availability, ambulance routes, and staff deployment. Additionally, a climate and health surveillance system that combines real-time climate and hazard data with routine disease reporting can flag high-risk areas for dengue, leptospirosis, and other climate-sensitive conditions.

Both interventions can be built on existing digital health tools, such as the Hospital Health Information Management System. It would require expanding coverage, backup power for connectivity, and the personnel and training necessary to raise efficiency. Linking these tools to geographic information systems would allow planners to see which facilities are at risk of being cut off and how best to coordinate vertically within health and disaster management systems, and horizontally across them.

From Tragedy to Transformation

Digital solutions do not substitute investments in infrastructure, staff, or primary care. However, they present feasible ways forward in a recovering economy to stretch limited resources by providing decision-makers with timely, detailed information and tools. As climate disasters become more frequent, Sri Lanka cannot afford not to invest in simple yet effective solutions.

Cyclone Ditwah is a national tragedy. It should also be a turning point in how we think about climate resilience in the health sector. As reconstruction support and international assistance are mobilised, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to ensure that “building back” includes building more intelligent, more connected, and more anticipatory disaster preparedness systems.

By Pulasthi Amarasinghe and Usha Perera

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Business

Cargills adopts Crow Island Beach in partnership with Clean Ocean Force Lanka

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Cargills Food and Beverage Ltd. through its brands KIST and Knuckles, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Clean Ocean Force Lanka (COF) to adopt Crow Island Beach for one year, reinforcing its commitment to long-term coastal conservation in Sri Lanka.

This pioneering initiative is designed to protect and preserve the coastal environment through several key measures, including the removal of plastic and other pollutants from the beach and surrounding coastal area. As part of the adoption programme, the beach will be maintained daily with the support of dedicated beach caretakers, while also supporting their livelihoods by providing meaningful income opportunities.

Marking the partnership and in celebration of World Recycling Day, a coastal clean-up programme was conducted at Crow Island Beach to remove plastic and other manmade pollutants. Volunteers from Cargills, Clean Ocean Force Lanka, the Interact Club of Colombo, the Colombo Municipal Council and the Women’s Force of COF Negombo (Sri Vimukthi Association) participated in the clean-up with support from the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), the Sri Lanka Police Environmental Division and the Ministry of Local Government and Environment as well as the Crow Island Beach Park Society.

Jerome Fernando, Chairman & Co-founder of Clean Ocean Force Lanka said that, “Marine & Coast Conservation demands a unified front. Our unique Public-Private-People Partnership model is the cornerstone of our mission, and today, we are thrilled to welcome Cargills (Ceylon) PLC as a vital partner in this journey adopting the Crow Island Beach for the next one year. This collaboration will not only amplify our efforts to eliminate plastic and manmade pollutants from our beaches, but also reinforce our commitment to empowering marginalized communities through sustainable livelihood opportunities. Cargills’ deep-rooted dedication to environmental sustainability and community wellbeing perfectly aligns with our vision.”

Jagath Gunasekara, General Manager of MEPA added, “The Marine Environment Protection Authority consistently promotes active private sector engagement in marine and coastal conservation, as well as pollution control initiatives. This approach aligns closely with our Beach Caretaker Programme. We are pleased to collaborate with Cargills (Ceylon) PLC in the adoption of Crow Island Beach through our long-standing partnership with Clean Ocean Force Lanka.”

During the event, Knuckles also launched Sri Lanka’s first tethered bottle cap, introducing a packaging innovation aimed at improving plastic waste management and supporting recycling efforts. The tethered cap is designed to remain attached to the bottle after opening, reducing the likelihood of caps being discarded separately. Bottle caps are among the most commonly littered plastic items globally and frequently enter landfills and waterways due to their small size and low collection rates.

Speaking on the initiative, Arjuna Kumarasinghe, Managing Director of Cargills Food & Beverage Ltd., said, “Cargills has always believed in taking responsibility for the communities and environments around us. By adopting Crow Island Beach, we’re able to work closely with our partners and local volunteers to protect this part of our coastline. Launching the tethered bottle cap is another way we’re addressing plastic waste and making recycling easier for everyone.”

Business

CBSL adopts cautious stance in the face of economic uncertainties

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe; focus on inflation stabilization

The Central Bank is keeping its overnight policy rates unchanged, adopting a cautious stance amid uncertainty over the inflationary impact of energy prices due to the Middle East crisis.

‘We maintained the overnight policy rate at 7.75 percent, considering low inflation and a restrained approach on the fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Central Bank Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe said.

The Governor made these remarks yesterday at a press briefing held at the Central Bank head office in Colombo to announce the monthly monetary policy stance.

Dr Weerasinghe added: ‘Inflation is now expected to reach the Central Bank’s target of 5 percent in the second quarter of 2026, after Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by about 35 percent this month.

‘However, spillovers from the ongoing conflict could weigh on domestic economic activity in the period ahead should the conflict be prolonged.

‘The rates were steady since last May as the nation recovers from a 2022 financial crisis driven by a severe dollar shortage.

‘Supported by a US$ 2.9 billion programme with the IMF, Sri Lanka posted a strong economic recovery last year, growing by 5 percent and now targeting growth between 4 percent and 5 per cent in 2026.

‘What stands out is that they see space for inflation to rise because of energy prices but still stay contained.

‘From now to June, underlying economic momentum has the space to keep pace despite the disruption because domestic liquidity and credit has been quite substantial as well.

‘An IMF team will arrive in Colombo on Friday for the combined fifth and sixth reviews of the bailout.

‘Furthermore, Gross Official Reserves increased to US$ 7.3 billion at end February 2026 and the Central Bank purchased a substantial amount of foreign exchange from the market in the first two months of the year.

‘However, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East poses risks to Sri Lanka’s external sector outlook, particularly through energy, tourism, trade and remittance flows, although the overall magnitude of the impact remains uncertain.

‘While the Sri Lanka rupee remained relatively stable in early 2026, some depreciation pressures were observed following the onset of the Middle East conflict, similar to the exchange rates of regional peers.

‘Meanwhile, the Monetary Policy Board remains prepared to implement appropriate policy measures to ensure that inflation stabilizes around the target, while supporting the economy to reach its potential.’

By Hiran H Senewiratne

Business

Dialog Unveils Dialog Play Mini with Netflix and Apple TV

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dialog Television, Sri Lanka’s #1 Pay-TV service provider, has announced the latest upgrade to its smart entertainment lineup with the Dialog Play Mini, featuring seamless access to global streaming platforms including Netflix, Apple TV and YouTube, alongside the Dialog Play entertainment ecosystem for a unified viewing experience. Previously known as the ViU Mini, the device has now been reintroduced as the Dialog Play Mini, reflecting the evolution of Dialog’s digital entertainment platform under the Dialog Play brand.

The Dialog Play Mini transforms any television into a smart 4K entertainment hub by enabling hybrid multi-platform streaming across leading global and local content platforms, delivering a smoother, more intuitive viewing experience. Whether enjoying Netflix originals, Apple TV exclusives, or local favorites, households can now experience world-class entertainment in one compact device.

The Dialog Play Mini brings a streamlined, user-friendly experience to any home setup. Its single numeric-keypad remote controls both the TV and the device, offering simplicity and convenience for everyday viewing. With multiple connectivity options including Wi-Fi, hotspot, LAN, or wingle, the device ensures uninterrupted entertainment even in areas without smart TVs or advanced broadband setups.

Bridging the gap between entry-level set-top boxes and premium Android TV devices, the Dialog Play Mini offers a plug-and-play smart experience. Supported by Dialog’s nationwide service network, local warranty, and after-sales care, it delivers a reliable, feature-rich entertainment experience for Sri Lankan homes.

“With Dialog Play Mini, entertainment becomes more directly accessible for every Sri Lankan home – with or without a Smart TV,” said Lim Li San, Group Chief Operating Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC. “By bringing Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube, and Dialog Play together in one compact 4K-ready device, we’re redefining home entertainment through simplicity, innovation, and the power of connectivity.”

The Dialog Play Mini is now available at Dialog Experience Centers and authorized retailers islandwide. To purchase online, please visit

https://dialog.lk/dialog-play-mini