In drought-stricken Sri Lanka, farmers watch wells empty and wildlife crowd shrinking water holes
Sri Lanka is facing a severe, prolonged drought that has depleted reservoirs and threatened the livelihoods of local farmers. Climate experts attribute the crisis to a combination of El Niño weather patterns and human-caused climate change.
Why it matters
The crisis underscores the vulnerability of agricultural communities in developing nations to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
MEDIRIGIRIYA, Sri Lanka - When the decades-long civil war that forced Samantha Pushpakumara from his village in north-central Sri Lanka ended, he was finally able to return home to a life of farming that he thought would give his family a stable future. That was until the rains didn't come.
Sri Lanka has been mired in drought for months, leading to severe water shortages that have left reservoirs dry and strained farming communities that depend on seasonal monsoons. Making matters worse, temperatures in many parts of the country have been higher than usual and high humidity has exacerbated the heat stress.
“We feel like we are being hit from every side,” Pushpakumara said. “If there is no water and we have to give up farming, we will have nothing left to live on.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in