El Niño warning Sri Lanka turns to the sea for drinking water

• The El Niño impact is expected to be most significant between January and April next year

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

Amid growing warnings over the possible impacts of the upcoming El Niño climate phenomenon, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has said it is looking into the possibility of using seawater and purifying it for drinking purposes as extreme heat is about to hit the country in the coming months.  

NWSDB Chairman Engineer A. M. P. C. T. Bandara told the Daily Mirror that steps will be taken to strengthen the water purification systems, including seawater desalination, to meet the country’s drinking water requirements.  

However, he said there was no reason for the public to panic, insisting that Sri Lanka is not facing a situation where water resources would be depleted due to El Niño.  

His remarks come as disaster management authorities and climate experts continue to caution that prolonged dry conditions linked to El Niño could place significant pressure on water supplies, agriculture, and hydroelectric power generation.  

Bandara said the country’s existing water supply infrastructure and reserves are sufficient to meet demand, dismissing concerns over severe nationwide shortages. However, he noted that preparedness measures, including Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology for desalination, are already in use in Sri Lanka.  

He pointed out that the NWSDB already operates a seawater desalination plant in Jaffna, which produces around 24,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day. However, he acknowledged that desalination is costly and consumes significant electricity, which has limited its expansion to other parts of the country.  

“The El Niño impact is expected to be most significant between January and April next year. Therefore, it is better to install RO plants to balance water usage,” he said, while stressing that the phenomenon is unlikely to dry up the country’s main catchment areas

entirely.  

Meanwhile, Additional Secretary (Administration) of the National Disaster Relief Services Centre, K. G. Dharmathilaka, warned that if the forecast El Niño event affects Sri Lanka as predicted, authorities may need to consider seawater desalination as part of emergency drinking water strategies.  

He said the expected El Niño event could be unusually severe, raising concerns that major water sources could come under stress or potentially dry up in extreme scenarios.  

Dharmathilaka also said that the Centre’s existing fleet of water bowsers would be insufficient to supply large-scale emergency water distribution if widespread shortages occur.  

“We have never experienced an El Niño situation like this before. We need to prepare extensively. If it happens, existing bowsers will not be enough, and we may even have to consider purifying seawater and distributing it,” he said.  

The World Meteorological Organization has previously warned of a potentially strong El Niño event, while Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology has indicated the possibility of drought-like conditions during July and August.  

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate pattern driven by abnormal warming in the Pacific Ocean, which alters weather systems worldwide. Meteorologists say the phenomenon could lead to below-normal rainfall in countries including Sri Lanka, India, and Australia, increasing the risk of drought conditions.