On July 23rd, 2025, Climacomms hosted a Climate 2.0 session titled “From Soil to Solutions: For a Climate Resilient Tomorrow” at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. This informal and interactive session brought together students from the Faculty of Agriculture to support shared learning and open discussion. Led by Dr. Chinthaka Bandara Karalliyadda, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Systems, the session focused on the impact of climate change on agriculture in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. It aimed to foster a dialogue based on local realities and practical experience, with contributions from research students adding further depth to the discussion.
The session began with reflections on the lived experiences of the region– dry winds, dusty air, limited water availability, and rising health concerns like chickenpox– all indicating the onset of the seasonal drought. In areas like Horowpathana, climate change is increasingly evident through rising temperatures, recurring droughts, and soil salinisation, leading to crop losses and heightened food insecurity. These impacts are further compounded by shifting rainfall patterns, the depletion of irrigation tanks, and increasing pressure on smallholder farmers. Traditional farming calendars are no longer reliable, making adaptation more challenging for farmers.
The discussion highlighted the role of water resources in dry zone agriculture. The region, which is home to over 18,000 man-made water tanks, along with 28 mapped freshwater springs. Sri Lanka's dry zone agriculture is sustained by an ancient tank cascade system, which is a traditional, interconnected network of small to large irrigation tanks. In this system, rainwater and surface runoff collected during the wet season flow from one tank to another through canals or streams, often passing through paddy fields. The cascading design allows water to be reused, reducing waste and ensuring reliable supply during the dry season. Beyond supporting crop cultivation, this cascade system helps communities adapt to droughts and floods, recharges groundwater, and provides vital ecosystem services such as water filtration, local climate regulation, and biodiversity support. Although irrigation water is provided free of charge through this cascade system, it is often used inefficiently. Without improvements in water management and better irrigation practices, these essential resources remain vulnerable to growing climate-related stresses.
The session also examined the link between changing agricultural and dietary patterns and their impact on climate change. Traditionally, rice was cultivated in lowland areas, while rainfed upland regions supported a range of crops such as vegetables and corn. This diversity has increasingly been replaced by monocropping, particularly corn, in response to commercial demand. This shift has contributed to deforestation, soil erosion, and ecosystem degradation. Much of the corn produced is used for poultry feed rather than direct human consumption. At the same time, livestock production, especially beef and poultry, has been identified as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion highlighted the environmental implications of our dietary choices and the importance of promoting climate-friendly, plant-based food systems.
The session concluded with key reflections actionable insights:
As climate impacts intensify, the way forward lies in combining scientific research, traditional knowledge, sustainable practices, and inclusive dialogue. Measures such as improving irrigation systems and re-thinking dietary patterns, can contribute to the development of a more climate-resilient future.
As a follow-up to the discussion, the session also introduced the Meatless Monday Sri Lanka initiative, which encourages individuals and institutions to reduce meat consumption by opting for plant-based meals. This approach supports a more sustainable and climate-friendly lifestyle by helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the environmental impact of food production, and promote healthier dietary habits.
ClimaComms
The ClimaComms programme established by SLYCAN Trust aims to advance evidence-based and innovative forms of climate communications and empower climate communicators. Through capacity-building on technical aspects related to climate change and providing spaces for enhancing and scaling up climate literacy and communication processes, ClimaComms engages communicators and media professionals from across the world to build climate awareness, raise climate literacy, and contribute to scaling up evidence- and science-driven climate action at all levels.
Meatless Monday Sri Lanka (MMSL)
The Meatless Monday Sri Lanka (MMSL) aims to promote and strengthen ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly food systems. Through awareness creation, capacity-building, outreach, and direct interventions, MMSL supports transitioning to ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly lifestyles that benefit human and animal wellbeing, environmental conservation, and the climate. MMSL also contributes to just transition in food systems through ethical, sustainable and climate-friendly lifestyles through awareness creation on sustainable, healthy, climate-friendly, and cruelty-free food options, supporting inclusive and participatory resilience building in food systems through evidence provision, research, capacity building for action creating positive change. MMSL focuses also on plant-based food entrepreneurship, research on scaling up and supporting entrepreneurship at local, national and global levels that contributes to, and just transition in food systems through transformative and regenerative actions.
On July 23rd, 2025, Climacomms hosted a Climate 2.0 session titled “From Soil to Solutions: For a Climate Resilient Tomorrow” at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. This informal and interactive session brought together students from the Faculty of Agriculture to support shared learning and open discussion. Led by Dr. Chinthaka Bandara Karalliyadda, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Systems, the session focused on the impact of climate change on agriculture in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. It aimed to foster a dialogue based on local realities and practical experience, with contributions from research students adding further depth to the discussion.
The session began with reflections on the lived experiences of the region– dry winds, dusty air, limited water availability, and rising health concerns like chickenpox– all indicating the onset of the seasonal drought. In areas like Horowpathana, climate change is increasingly evident through rising temperatures, recurring droughts, and soil salinisation, leading to crop losses and heightened food insecurity. These impacts are further compounded by shifting rainfall patterns, the depletion of irrigation tanks, and increasing pressure on smallholder farmers. Traditional farming calendars are no longer reliable, making adaptation more challenging for farmers.
The discussion highlighted the role of water resources in dry zone agriculture. The region, which is home to over 18,000 man-made water tanks, along with 28 mapped freshwater springs. Sri Lanka's dry zone agriculture is sustained by an ancient tank cascade system, which is a traditional, interconnected network of small to large irrigation tanks. In this system, rainwater and surface runoff collected during the wet season flow from one tank to another through canals or streams, often passing through paddy fields. The cascading design allows water to be reused, reducing waste and ensuring reliable supply during the dry season. Beyond supporting crop cultivation, this cascade system helps communities adapt to droughts and floods, recharges groundwater, and provides vital ecosystem services such as water filtration, local climate regulation, and biodiversity support. Although irrigation water is provided free of charge through this cascade system, it is often used inefficiently. Without improvements in water management and better irrigation practices, these essential resources remain vulnerable to growing climate-related stresses.
The session also examined the link between changing agricultural and dietary patterns and their impact on climate change. Traditionally, rice was cultivated in lowland areas, while rainfed upland regions supported a range of crops such as vegetables and corn. This diversity has increasingly been replaced by monocropping, particularly corn, in response to commercial demand. This shift has contributed to deforestation, soil erosion, and ecosystem degradation. Much of the corn produced is used for poultry feed rather than direct human consumption. At the same time, livestock production, especially beef and poultry, has been identified as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion highlighted the environmental implications of our dietary choices and the importance of promoting climate-friendly, plant-based food systems.
The session concluded with key reflections actionable insights:
As climate impacts intensify, the way forward lies in combining scientific research, traditional knowledge, sustainable practices, and inclusive dialogue. Measures such as improving irrigation systems and re-thinking dietary patterns, can contribute to the development of a more climate-resilient future.
As a follow-up to the discussion, the session also introduced the Meatless Monday Sri Lanka initiative, which encourages individuals and institutions to reduce meat consumption by opting for plant-based meals. This approach supports a more sustainable and climate-friendly lifestyle by helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the environmental impact of food production, and promote healthier dietary habits.
ClimaComms
The ClimaComms programme established by SLYCAN Trust aims to advance evidence-based and innovative forms of climate communications and empower climate communicators. Through capacity-building on technical aspects related to climate change and providing spaces for enhancing and scaling up climate literacy and communication processes, ClimaComms engages communicators and media professionals from across the world to build climate awareness, raise climate literacy, and contribute to scaling up evidence- and science-driven climate action at all levels.
Meatless Monday Sri Lanka (MMSL)
The Meatless Monday Sri Lanka (MMSL) aims to promote and strengthen ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly food systems. Through awareness creation, capacity-building, outreach, and direct interventions, MMSL supports transitioning to ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly lifestyles that benefit human and animal wellbeing, environmental conservation, and the climate. MMSL also contributes to just transition in food systems through ethical, sustainable and climate-friendly lifestyles through awareness creation on sustainable, healthy, climate-friendly, and cruelty-free food options, supporting inclusive and participatory resilience building in food systems through evidence provision, research, capacity building for action creating positive change. MMSL focuses also on plant-based food entrepreneurship, research on scaling up and supporting entrepreneurship at local, national and global levels that contributes to, and just transition in food systems through transformative and regenerative actions.
