Srilanka, Sept. 30 -- Climate resilience has become the defining test of this El Nino year for Sri Lanka's plantation sector. The National Disaster Relief Services Centre says over 81,000 people across 25,563 families in seven districts, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Badulla, Monaragala, Hambantota and Ratnapura, have been affected by the dry weather linked to the phenomenon. The government has raised daily water allocations from six to 15 litres per person, deployed 324 water bowsers, and set aside Rs. 4.8 billion for relief.
Several of the worst hit districts sit close to plantation country, a reminder that El Nino doesn't stop at the edge of an estate. It touches every elevation, from low grown tea and rubber around Ratnapura and Gal...