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The Conversation
Ravindra Jayaratne, Reader in Coastal Engineering, University of East London

Sri Lanka’s latest climate-driven floods expose flaws in disaster preparations – here’s what needs to change

Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka on November 28 2025. Alina Polat/Shutterstock

When Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on November 28 2025, Sri Lanka experienced one of its deadliest environmental disasters in modern history.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared it the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history”. Torrential rains triggered widespread floods and landslides, leading to more than 350 confirmed deaths, hundreds missing and over 1.4 million people affected nationwide.

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