SRI LANKA MUST LEAD THE GLOBAL FIGHT FOR A FAIR CLIMATE LOSS

AND DAMAGE FRAMEWORK

- By M.U.M.ALI SABRY, PC

Climate change is no longer a distant concern, it is the harsh reality Sri Lanka is forced to confront again and again.

Floods, tsunamis, droughts, economic crises, and once again floods, this vicious cycle keeps returning, each time with greater intensity. A small island like ours cannot endure this indefinitely, and we are not alone in this struggle. Many vulnerable nations are caught in the same storm, suffering the consequences of emissions we did not create.

The injustice is clear. Much of the infrastructure destroyed in recent weeks was built with borrowed funds from institutions such as the World Bank and the ADB. We borrowed to develop our country, climate change washed it away, and yet our repayment obligations remain unchanged. This is the core unfairness at the heart of the global climate crisis. Those who have contributed least are facing the harshest consequences, while those most responsible continue with lip service and voluntary commitments.

Lip service will not rebuild a single road or home. It is time to honour the commitments made, and time for those responsible to finally accept the legal and financial accountability they owe to nations like ours. Sri Lanka has stepped forward before, and we can do it again.

A Global System That Is Failing Us