Climate change  in Sri Lanka may lead to higher temperatures, storm surges and increased rainfall variability. These in turn  impact agriculture and food security, water resources and human health. Extreme weather events and sea level rise  lead to coastal erosion and loss of land, threatening livelihoods and forcing migration.

“Is Climate Change Fueling Migration in Sri Lanka” report’s primary objective is to explore the linkage between climate change and migration in Sri Lanka. Loss of income due to weather -related crop failures on one hand and displacement due to extreme weather events on the other, is worsening an already precarious economic conditions of the rural poor, causing more people to migrate away from their homes.Janathakshan GTE Ltd, in collaboration with Climate Action Network South Asia, Action Aid International and Bread for the World, conducted a participatory research study of four inland sites across Sri Lanka in a bid to understand the drivers and impacts of migration and specifically the role of climate change. The surveyed communities were from Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Nuwara Eliya, and Kegalle districts.

The report highlights what people require to improve their current situation, which may help communities stay where they are. The need for updated risk assessment and hazard , vulnerability mapping, introduction of climate resilient agriculture practices, drought/flood-resistant crop varieties. Other than that there is an urgent need for more research-based information for robust disaster related policymaking, investment planning, and project formulation to address the threat of climate migration.