Business

Harnessing nature’s wisdom: Experts highlight “Resist–Align” path to resilience

Published

6 months ago

2026/04/18

As Sri Lanka confronts mounting environmental and economic pressures, a timely national conversation on resilience has underscored the urgent need to rethink how societies respond to change—by balancing resistance with alignment to nature.

The inaugural Nature Talks Webinar Series, titled “Nature’s Secrets for Building Resilience in a Changing World,” took place on Wednesday night, bringing together leading environmental thinkers who argued that resilience is no longer optional, but essential in navigating climate and ecological uncertainty.

Organised collaboratively by the International Centre for Biological Studies (ICBS), GAP HQ, and the Biomimicry Research Centre, the session aimed to bridge science, policy, and innovation, while drawing practical lessons from nature.

Leading the discussion, Professor Sarath Kotagama of the University of Colombo emphasised that resilience must be understood as a combination of resistance and alignment.

“Resilience is about resisting where necessary, but also forming alliances with change,” he said. “We are not saying we can stop everything. The real question is—can we adjust to live with it?”

He urged societies to reflect on their ability not only to prevent or resist environmental change, but also to adapt intelligently to it. Referring to global developments such as Artemis II, Kotagama noted that humanity is increasingly being reminded of how rapidly conditions are shifting on Earth.

Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Kotagama outlined several insights that have reshaped thinking on resilience.

“One of the most important lessons was the role of microbes,” he said. “We always focused on large animals in biodiversity, but COVID showed us that invisible organisms can have a massive impact on the planet.”

He explained that while conservation has traditionally prioritised charismatic species such as elephants and birds, microorganisms—often overlooked—are equally critical to ecological balance.

Professor Kotagama also challenged assumptions about nature. “Nature is not always kind or caring. Under certain conditions, it can be harsh, and humans don’t necessarily feel affection for all forms of life—especially microbes,” he said.

At the same time, he stressed the decisive role of science. “If not for science, we would not have survived as we did,” he noted, pointing to the rapid development of vaccines despite global norms that typically require years of testing.

He further highlighted the importance of governance. “We may not always like governments, but during COVID, governments mattered. Without coordinated action, the outcome would have been far worse,” he said.

Professor Kotagama added that the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the global economic system, with industries such as tourism collapsing almost overnight due to what he described as “an invisible microbe.”

“It showed clearly that systems we thought were stable can be disrupted instantly,” he said, warning that unsustainable development models—particularly in tourism—must be reconsidered.

Meanwhile, Professor Sevandi Jayakody of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka highlighted biomimicry as a key pathway to resilience.

“The biggest answer to resilience is biomimicry,” Professor Jayakody said. “Nature already holds solutions—we just need to understand and apply them.”

She explained that biomimicry can operate at the level of form, process, or systems, and cited mangrove restoration as a practical example. Attempts to artificially recreate ecosystems often fall short unless they follow natural patterns such as tidal flows and species interactions.

“In restoring degraded mangroves, we learned that forcing systems does not work. When we followed natural contours and introduced resilient ‘nurse’ species, the ecosystem began to recover on its own,” she said.

Professor Jayakody emphasised that resilience must be embedded within environmental systems rather than imposed externally. “Resilience is a function of the environment we live in. If we ignore that, our interventions will fail,” she said.

She also cautioned against expecting rapid results. “Nature is slow. Humans are in a hurry,” Professor Jayakody noted, pointing to long-term data showing that even measurable ecological changes—such as seasonal shifts—can occur gradually over decades.

“Change is inevitable, but it is not always sudden. We need long-term data, patience, and the wisdom to interpret it correctly,” she added.

Moderating the session, Imaduwa Priyadarshana brought a practical perspective on sustainable design and adaptation, highlighting how nature-based thinking can inform urban planning and infrastructure.

With Sri Lanka grappling with climate variability, coastal degradation, and energy challenges, the experts stressed that such knowledge-sharing platforms are increasingly vital. The discussion aligned with a growing global shift towards nature-based solutions—learning from ecosystems that have evolved resilience over millennia.

By Ifham Nizam

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Business

ComBank hands over fully refurbished wards at De Soysa Hospital for Women

Published

22 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Pictured here are the representatives of the Bank and senior officials of the hospital at the ceremonial handing over of the refurbished ward.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently handed over Wards No. 03 and 04 of the De Soysa Hospital for Women, after the completion of a comprehensive renovation project launched in March this year to mark International Women’s Day.

Wards 03 and 04 handle a substantial share of the hospital’s patient load, and account for approximately 2,500 to 3,000 deliveries and 4,000 to 5,000 admissions annually. Their refurbishment was designed to significantly enhance patient care, safety and comfort, and directly benefit thousands of mothers and newborns.

Five Trustees of the Commercial Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Trust participated in the formal handing over of the refurbished wards to the hospital authorities. They were Sharhan Muhseen, the Bank’s Chairman, Raja Senanayake, Deputy Chairman, Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO, Hasrath Munasinghe, Chief Operating Officer, and Prasanna Indrajith, Chief Financial Officer.

Established in 1879, the De Soysa Hospital for Women is the first maternity hospital in Sri Lanka and the second oldest in Asia and is credited with, among others, performing the country’s first caesarean section in 1905 and establishing one of its earliest organised operating theatres in 1907.

The Commercial Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Trust, through which this project was implemented, has via its healthcare-related interventions supported more than 100 government hospitals with essential equipment and infrastructure, contributed to emergency medical services through the ‘Adopt an Ambulance’ initiative, and implemented targeted community health interventions such as water storage solutions for families affected by kidney disease.

Business

IIHS expands global nursing pathways

Published

23 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Renuka Jayatissa and Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe speaking to the media

The International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS) Multiversity is expanding its international education programmes with the aim of creating overseas employment opportunities for Sri Lankan nurses and allied health professionals while contributing to foreign exchange earnings.

Speaking to the media during a conference at IIHS Multiversity in Kerawalapitiya, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, CEO, Co-Founder and Dean of IIHS aid that the institute has established academic partnerships with overseas universities and higher education institutions, including the University of Surrey in the UK, Deakin University in Australia, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, Asia e University in Malaysia and SUNY Canton in the United States.

Under its ‘Study in Sri Lanka, Graduate to the World’ model, students can complete foundational and diploma-level qualifications locally before progressing to international top-up degrees or overseas employment.

Dr Edirisinghe said the model could substantially reduce the cost of obtaining internationally recognised qualifications. It estimates that completing a four-year bachelor’s degree at the University of Surrey in the UK would cost about USD 145,700, including tuition and living expenses, compared with about USD 27,750 through the IIHS pathway in Sri Lanka.

Dr Edirisinghe said the institute’s focus on overseas deployment addressed both Sri Lanka’s economic needs and the growing global demand for healthcare workers.

“Our winning model is producing job-ready, registration-ready healthcare professionals who can seamlessly enter foreign healthcare systems,” he said.

IIHS, which began operations in 2002 as the American College of Health Sciences, established its institutional base in Welisara in 2008 and launched its purpose-built greenfield multiversity campus in 2023.

The institute said it has upgraded the qualifications of more than 5,000 government nurses, supported over 2,500 youth on international employment pathways and trained more than 1,000 allied health professionals. It has also carried out over 250 community health projects.

The institute has identified Germany and Japan among its target markets, with pathways planned for 2,000 nurses for Germany and a one-year preparation programme linked to around 4,000 healthcare positions in Japan.

Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, Vice-Chancellor and a specialist medical doctor, said demographic changes and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases were changing healthcare requirements in Sri Lanka.

Business

Sampath Bank launches Sri Lanka’s first community-powered book discovery platform at Colombo International Book Fair

Published

23 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Sampath GPay customers can enjoy 25% cash back on Book Fair purchases

Sampath Bank PLC has launched Sampath Book Finder, Sri Lanka’s first community-powered book discovery platform, giving visitors to the Colombo International Book Fair a faster and more seamless way to find the books they are looking for across the fair’s 150+ stalls, while also opening up new opportunities to discover titles recommended by fellow readers.

Introduced on the opening day of the Colombo International Book Fair on 25 September, Sampath Book Finder brings together digital innovation and the collective knowledge of readers to address a familiar challenge at one of Sri Lanka’s largest literary gatherings, where the scale of the fair can make locating a particular title a time-consuming exercise. When a book proves difficult to locate, visitors can access bookfairtracker.com or scan the designated QR code and submit a request to the community, allowing readers who have already spotted the title to share its location and help others find it without having to search stall after stall.

Commenting on the initiative, Milinda Weerasinghe, Chief Marketing Officer, Sampath Bank PLC, said, “At Sampath Bank, we believe meaningful innovation begins by identifying everyday challenges and creating solutions that make a real difference. Sampath Book Finder brings this thinking to the Colombo International Book Fair by turning the collective knowledge of readers into a real-time digital solution, empowering them to find what they are looking for, discover something new and help others do the same, while making the overall experience more convenient and connected.”

The platform also turns book discovery into a shared experience, allowing visitors to recommend books they encounter by sharing the title, publisher, hall and stall number, which enables fellow readers to discover sought-after titles and recommendations while making it easier to locate them within the fair.

Sampath Bank’s longstanding association with the Colombo International Book Fair also continues in 2026, marking more than 20 years of partnership, with the Bank serving as the Official Banking Partner for this year’s fair. As part of its presence at the event, SampathCards offer 25% cashback for Sampath GPay customers on their purchases and 3 months 0% instalment plans for book purchases via Sampath credit cards, while visitors can also access banking services through the Bank’s physical presence at the fair. Customers registering to open selected Fixed Deposits at the premises will receive an additional 0.25%, adding further value and convenience for visitors.