Climate economics must become a priority

A few decades ago, climate change could be spoken of as a distant environmental concern, something to be observed, debated, and perhaps noted in policy papers.

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That time has passed.Climate change is real, it is accelerating, and its consequences will be felt across every corner of the world. For small island nations like Sri Lanka, those consequences will arrive earlier, strike harder, and leave deeper scars. The recent Ditwah cyclone is only the latest reminder that we stand on the front lines.

We as a tropical island long accustomed to monsoons and seasonal storms, should theoretically be resilient. For generations, we have weathered nature's rhythms as part of our lived experience. But the ferocity of the recent cyclone, its destructive winds, heavy rains, and unprecedented flooding, exposed a frightening truth that our natural resilience is no longer enough. The scale of the damage reveals a country deeply vulnerable to climate shocks. This is not just a disaster-management issue. It is an existential economic issue.