A multi-stakeholder webinar titled ‘Coastal Inundation in Northern and Southern Sri Lanka: Policy, Activity, and Challenges’ was organized on November 15, 2024. Supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and organized by the South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) in association with the Progyan Foundation for Research and Innovation (PFRI), the webinar proved to be an effective platform for identifying the prevailing policy-practice gaps and challenges of coastal inundation in northern and southern Sri Lanka.
Respected academics, scientists, and practitioners from Sri Lanka and India came together to discuss their experiences and opinions on existing differences between agricultural policy frameworks, practices, and challenges faced in the coastal parts of northern and southern Sri Lanka.
Geographic and infrastructural disparities shape coastal agricultural resilience – Under the 2024 Coastal Zone Management Plan, the North prioritizes large-scale erosion control and salinity management due to its flat, low-lying terrain, while the South focuses on smaller, localized interventions. However, adoption of salt-tolerant crop varieties remains slower in the North due to weaker access to seeds, infrastructure, and extension services.
Bathymetry and elevation drive region-specific salinity risks – Shallow bathymetry and extensive lagoons in the North lead to gradual but widespread salinity intrusion, while the Southwest’s steep coastal slopes and narrow plains result in more acute saltwater entry during storms. Policies promote vegetative buffers, buffer zones, and salt-tolerant crops in both regions, but lagoon management is especially critical in the North.
Northern salinity infrastructure lags due to funding and technical gaps – Compared to the South’s climate-smart aquaculture and rainwater harvesting projects, the North struggles to secure large-scale investment for salinity barriers and drainage systems due to high costs, complex engineering needs, limited institutional capacity, and the absence of a coordinated long-term master plan.
Different hazard profiles shape agricultural losses – Inundation in Mullaitivu leads to direct paddy land loss and recurrent displacement, while the Southwest suffers more from indirect crop losses caused by infrastructure failures and tourism-driven land conversion, which permanently reduces farmland.
Regional climate-smart agriculture policies are increasingly tailored – Under the 2024 updated NDCs, drought-tolerant maize, organic tea, and other CSA practices are being regionally deployed, supported by targeted financing, public-private partnerships, and climate risk insurance. Implementation aligns with national adaptation plans but varies in scale and urgency by agroecological zone.
Human-driven coastal degradation impacts soils differently by region – In the Southwest, coral mining and reliance on sandbags undermine soil stability and fertility through erosion and salinization, while in the North, infrastructure projects like the Mannar bridge alter lagoon hydrology, indirectly affecting water quality and agricultural productivity.
Early warning system gaps limit adaptive agricultural action – Ineffective dissemination, lack of trust, fragmented coordination, and inadequate integration with agricultural extension services hinder farmers’ ability to act on flood and drought forecasts, reducing uptake of measures like adjusted planting calendars and micro-irrigation.
