January 22, Colombo (LNW): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has acknowledged that weak coordination among state bodies responsible for land use, construction, agriculture, livestock and environmental protection has slowed efforts to rehabilitate the central highlands following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
He noted that fragmented decision-making and overlapping responsibilities have made restoration work more complex, particularly in areas where environmental damage has been compounded over many years. To address this, the President said plans are being developed to introduce a unified mechanism that will bring all relevant institutions under a single, coordinated framework to accelerate protection and rebuilding efforts in the affected regions.
These observations were made during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and key stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The discussions focused on stabilising the central hills, rehabilitating forest plantations and preventing further environmental degradation.
Officials highlighted that Cyclone Ditwah had triggered close to 4,000 landslides across the central highlands, with long-standing issues such as unauthorised construction, improper farming practices and neglect of land management significantly worsening the impact. Participants stressed the urgency of adopting a comprehensive national policy aimed at safeguarding the central hills and preserving them for future generations.
The need to establish a statutory authority with clear legal powers to oversee land use and conservation in the region was also raised. President Dissanayake directed relevant officials to fast-track steps required to set up such an institution without delay.
Representatives from the ADB and UNDP underlined the importance of maintaining a dedicated financial mechanism to support long-term restoration and conservation work, reaffirming their commitment to assist Sri Lanka in rebuilding and protecting the central highlands.
Senior officials from multiple ministries, alongside representatives from development partners and other institutions, took part in the discussions, reflecting the broad-based approach now being pursued to address the challenges facing the country’s environmentally sensitive hill country.
