Ditwah economic risk at $ 16 b, or 16% of GDP - ILO

ILO assessment finds Ditwah hits 374,000 workers; income losses at $ 48 m a month Estimates that agriculture and fisheries sectors were severely hit Up to 23% of rice-cultivating land affected by floods, tea output losses as high as 35% Recommends emergency cash assistance and employment- intensive early recovery activities Recovery initiatives must combine with specific sectoral support and assistance to MSMEs

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THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday said that the floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have put around 16% of national GDP at risk, valued at around $ 16 billion, with impacts concentrated in a limited number of districts.

"This spatial concentration increases the likelihood of uneven recovery and prolonged local economic disruption if not addressed through targeted interventions", the ILO said a special brief titled 'Preliminary employment assessment of the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka'.

"The geographical distribution of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated using nighttime light data. This approach enables a more precise estimate of areas directly affected by the floods. The combined flooded and landslide-impacted zones account for 16.3% of observed nighttime lights. It can therefore be estimated that GDP equivalent to $ 16 billion has been exposed to potential damages," the brief said.