Evidence of Climate Change Impacts in Sri Lanka - A Review of Literature

Abstract

Sri Lanka is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its geographic location, size, and socio-economic conditions. The country is exposed to a range of climate hazards including floods, landslides, droughts, cyclones, and sea-level rise. Therefore, numerous studies have been conducted to assess the island’s vulnerability to climate change and its unprecedented consequences. These consequences are in a slow or rapid-onset nature. Sri Lanka also has a substantial policy context to build resilience and enhance the adaptability of vulnerable communities. Therefore, the literature plays an important role in formulating climate change policies as it provides a wealth of knowledge and insights into the impacts of climate change on human society and the environment. However, the literature is currently scattered, and no single source aggregates such scattered literature. Hence, this article reviews the climate change related literature in Sri Lanka, summarizes, and organises to assist future studies concerning the climate change context in Sri Lanka.