An Exploratory Study on Adapting to Climate Change in Coastal Areas of Sri Lanka

This study focuses on the climate change influence on coastal areas in Sri Lanka, how their livelihoods are affected, adaptations in coastal areas and the obstacles for these practices. The study aims to explore the coping strategies of the urban and rural costal communities with regard to climate change and assess the effectiveness of actions take to cope with its impacts and features within these actions that can be included in national and pectoral strategies as adaptation measures.

It also examines how various actors, in policy and implementation at national, sectoral, civil society, NGO and community levels attempt to address climate change. The study uses an actor based approach to analyse elements that aid and impede adaptation at each level and highlights issues that can assist better climate change adaptation. Areas of agriculture, fisheries and tourism livelihoods of poor communities are factored and those who are most vulnerable to climate change in coastal areas of Sri Lanka.