Cyclone Ditwah leaves Sri Lanka's biodiversity in ruins: Top scientist warns of unseen ecological disaster

Sri Lanka is facing an environmental catastrophe of unprecedented scale in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, with leading experts warning that the real extent of the ecological destruction remains dangerously under-assessed.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

Prof Wijesundara

Research Professor Siril Wijesundara of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) issued a stark warning that Sri Lanka may be confronting one of the worst biodiversity losses in its recent history, yet the country still lacks a coordinated, scientific assessment of the damage.

"What we see in photographs and early reports is only a fraction of the devastation. We are dealing with a major ecological crisis, and unless a systematic, science-driven assessment begins immediately, we risk losing far more than we can ever restore," Prof. Wijesundara told The Island.