In the first quarter of 2026, the Ceylon Electricity Board’s plan of increasing electricity tariffs by 11.57% has understandably sparked public anxiety around affordability. In a shaky economy, electricity prices are foremost…
The most devastating natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka in decades, Cyclone Ditwah, has forced the country into its most severe climate-related humanitarian crisis in recent memory. Sri Lanka is only beginning…
Forests play a crucial role far beyond simply absorbing water. For generations, people viewed them as sponges but we now understand they are sophisticated water management systems. Forests support plant growth, regulate…
Sri Lanka’s latest natural disaster once again exposed deep structural weaknesses not only in disaster preparedness but also in governance economic resilience and regional connectivity. Amid this crisis India’s response stood out…
This article examines the government’s relief and compensation mechanisms for the Malaiyaha Tamil community in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah from the historical context of their precarious land tenure. As the line…
When calamity strikes, the immediate imperative is saving lives, restoring essential services and delivering relief to those who have lost everything. But once the dust settles – literally and metaphorically – a…
While climate change is a long term global challenge, its impact on Sri Lanka is both severe and immediate. Researchers point out that the increase in sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal…
Few taxes are intrinsically democratic or undemocratic. They are just a way of funding government. But there are occasional exceptions, including a very significant one in Sri Lanka currently: the taxes raised…
Comrade Rohana Wijeweera, the founder of the JVP, was arrested and subsequently murdered 36 years ago. His disappearance in 1989 symbolised the turbulent end of the JVP’s second insurrection, extreme political violence…
There is, quite rightly, a public outcry when a tusker is killed. There are probably less than two dozen mature tuskers left on the island, if that. This year over 350 wild…
The 2026 budget proposal to uplift plantation workers through higher daily wages is a positive step. Yet the decision to grant attendance incentives directly from the government raises deeper questions about governance,…
When Industries Minister Sunil Handunnetti declared that aswesuma beneficiaries “should be ashamed” and called the cash transfer scheme “like begging legally,” he did more than outrage a large section of the public;…
The year 2024 was a watershed for Sri Lanka with two national elections held in quick succession: a presidential poll in September and parliamentary elections in November. These were the first national…
The government’s 2026 budget outlines an ambitious and costly digitalisation agenda, allocating over Rs. 30 billion for a sweeping technological overhaul of the state apparatus. While presented as a leap towards efficiency,…
Mannar stands at the frontline of a new conflict: the cumulative impact of large scale development projects, in particular the proposed wind farms. While renewable energy is crucial for Sri Lanka’s future,…
