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