EUDR in 2025: Is Sri Lanka Ready for the EU’s New Deforestation Rules?
Sri Lanka faces a critical test with the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) taking effect in December 2025. With rubber exports to the EU valued at over USD 330 million annually, compliance is vital. While large plantations may adapt easily, smallholder farmers who manage over two-thirds of rubber cultivation face digital and documentation challenges. Without targeted support, Sri Lanka risks losing market access, jobs, and GDP. This blog explores readiness, risks, and policy priorities for EUDR compliance.
Sri Lanka’s Struggle with Single-Use Plastics: Why Bans Alone Fall Short
By Sulochana Silva and Nishamini Ihalagedara The escalating crisis of plastic pollution poses a significant threat to both the health of the planet and human well-being. Among the plastic pollutants, Single-use plastics (SUPs) have become a major driver …
Can Debt-for-Climate and Nature Swaps Help Make Sri Lanka’s Debt More Manageable?
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, fuelled by unsustainable debt and a default in 2022, left the country struggling to stabilise its economy. Its high climate vulnerability that disrupts livelihoods exacerbated the economic challenges. In the face of dual pressures from an economic crisis and climate vulnerability, the need for alternative approaches to financial recovery has never been more urgent. Therefore, debt-for-climate-and-nature (DfCN) swaps could be a possible option to lower the financial burden while addressing climate challenges.
Bridging Conservation and Livelihoods: Addressing the Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka on World Elephant Day
On World Elephant Day, attention turns to the unique challenges faced by Sri Lanka in the realm of human-elephant conflict (HEC). HEC’s escalating toll paints a stark reality. Human communities endure property damage, crop loss, and tragic fatalities, amplifying poverty and socio-economic instability. In 2022, as per the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Sri Lanka documented a total of 145 human fatalities resulting from HEC. Simultaneously, elephants face habitat loss, injuries, and mortality due to retaliatory killings and encounters with human settlements. DWC reported a substantial rise in elephant mortality, reaching a peak with a recorded total of 433 deaths in 2022. Therefore, the urgent need for implementing effective solutions to minimise HEC in the country becomes paramount.
The X-Press Pearl Disaster: From Flames to Prevention
Sri Lanka’s ecological disaster related to the MV X-Press Pearl, a container ship carrying hazardous chemicals that caught fire off its coast on 20 May 2021, is back in the news as the country attempts to claim damages. The ecological disaster washed up tons of plastic pellets and other pollutants on the country’s beaches and harmed its marine ecosystem. It is a stark reminder of the risks associated with transporting hazardous materials and the urgent need for governments and companies to take proactive measures to prevent such disasters in the future. This blog revisits the environmental impact of the X-Press Pearl disaster and discusses how Sri Lanka can use the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) to develop strategies and policies to prevent similar disasters from happening near its shores again.
Demystifying Hawala/Undiyal – The Not So Dismal Science:[…] believed that informal fund transfer operations in Sri Lanka have expanded considerably due to the wide gap between the…