Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed that he had warned authorities about the potential impacts of the El Niño climate phenomenon even before international meteorological and climate centres issued their official announcements.
Speaking at an exhibition organised by the Sri Lanka Rainforest Trust, Premadasa said he had previously raised the issue before a parliamentary committee chaired by Professor Ashu Marasinghe and highlighted the need for the Government to be prepared for possible environmental changes.
He stressed that governments should focus on anticipating and mitigating disasters before they occur rather than concentrating solely on relief and recovery efforts after the damage has been done.
“Providing solutions after a natural disaster has already taken place is of little value. What is needed is advance awareness and preparation to reduce the impact of such events before they become crises,” he said.
Premadasa noted that although the Government had recently convened discussions on addressing the El Niño situation, greater emphasis should be placed on preventative measures and damage reduction strategies.
He also called for a more forward-looking approach to disaster management, arguing that authorities should anticipate potential risks and establish systems to respond to them in advance, similar to practices adopted in other sectors.
The Opposition Leader said such preparedness was essential to safeguarding the country against future environmental and natural disasters.
