Cabinet appoints special committees to combat looming El Niño climate crisis

Colombo, June 23 (Daily Mirror) -The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal presented by the President to urgently establish a special Ministerial Sub-Committee and a supporting Officials' Committee to mitigate the severe impacts of the global El Niño climate phenomenon. Scientific forecasts have confirmed that the intensity and effects of El Niño are expected to impact Sri Lanka starting from the latter half of this year, elevating risks of unpredictable rainfall disruptions, extreme temperatures, droughts, and flash floods. Given the island’s high vulnerability to climate variations, the government recognized the critical need for a proactive national framework to safeguard the country's socio-economic stability.

The newly appointed Ministerial Sub-Committee is tasked with formulating comprehensive short-term, medium-term, and annual strategic plans to manage potential water, electricity, and food crises triggered by the climate pattern. It will also ensure integrated operations across all public institutions and implement immediate public awareness campaigns to minimize disaster risks. The subcommittee will be chaired by the Minister of Environment, Dammika Patabendi, and will include the Ministers of Agriculture; Plantation and Community Infrastructure; Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy; Trade, Commerce and Food Security; and Housing, Construction and Water Supply.

To assist the ministerial panel, a high-level Officials' Committee chaired by the Presidential Chief of Staff has also been formed. This committee comprises ministry secretaries from the affected sectors, alongside key operational heads, including the Directors General of Irrigation, Agriculture, Wildlife Conservation, Meteorology, the Disaster Management Centre, and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. 

The broad alliance intends to strengthen nationwide coordination between state agencies, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to execute a resilient national response plan.