Climate change ravages Sri Lanka's shores

Dilrukshan Kumara looks at the ocean while sitting amid the remains of his family house, which has been destroyed by erosion, in Iranawila, Sri Lanka. Coastal erosion has long been a problem in Sri Lanka.

Studies show that the short-term erosion rate on Sri Lanka's western coast varies from 0-3 meters (0-9.8 feet) per year. Yet this figure may increase significantly by 2050, reaching up to 4-11 m per year, with an average of 7 m per year. In 2100, estimated erosion will be from 10-34 m per year, at an average of 17-24 m per year.

"One night last month, my son went to the bathroom, and I suddenly heard him screaming, ‘Our house has gone into the sea!'" said Fernando, a 58-year-old fisher born and raised in Iranawila, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital, Colombo.

Villagers salvage reusable rafters from the wreck of their home, destroyed by erosion. According to the IPCC, the risk related to sea level rise is expected to significantly increase by the end of this century along all low-lying coasts if major additional adaptation efforts are not undertaken.

"I saw parts of my house were already eaten up by the sea, and my son coming out of the water, carrying our commode. Our house's foundations were completely washed out and we were forced to shift further inland," Fernando says. His former home on Sri Lanka's coast is now no more than a shell, with the rest lost to the sea.

Waves lap against a barrier, causing slow erosion. Locals say more frequent severe weather and an ongoing sea reclamation project not far from Iranawila are the main reasons for the increased erosion that is leading to so much destruction. They say that the sea shore has moved in a few hundred meters in the last three years.

Jassintha, the wife of Ranjith Sunimal Fernando, sits in their temporary dwelling in Iranawila. Sri Lanka has 1,620 km (1,007 miles) of coastline, with abundant natural resources supporting millions of livelihoods.

Iranwila is not the only place to suffer coastal erosion in Sri Lanka — there are hundreds of other fishing hamlets in the region in the same situation. "I don't know what will happen in the future but I still keep my faith," a fisherman says.

Approximately 11.3 million people live in coastal districts of Sri Lanka. Owing to its abundant natural resources and the social and economic benefits they bring, the coastal zone has experienced immense development and urbanization over the decades.

Villagers wade in the sea to collect stones washed out from the land by coastal erosion. The present effects of erosion are devastating in Iranawila. But the future for the whole region could be much worse still.

Dilrukshan Kumara salvages a door from his wrecked home. The destruction of his town is a warning to step up efforts to fight erosion.