The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has warned that if the upcoming El Nino climate phenomenon affects Sri Lanka as predicted, it may even be necessary to consider steps such as the desalination of seawater to meet the drinking water requirements in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing today (10), DMC Additional Secretary K.G.B. Dharmathilaka said the expected El Nino event could be unprecedentedly severe this time, posing a risk of major water sources across the country drying up due to its impact.

He stressed the dire need to prepare for the current situation in advance.

Dharmathilaka also added that the number of water bowsers available at the National Disaster Relief Services Center for distributing water in an emergency is limited.

Commenting further, Dharmathilaka said: 

“We have never heard of an El Nino situation like this before. As far as I can tell, we will have to prepare a lot for this. Normally, we supply water to the entire country for a month during the rainy season through the National Disaster Relief Services Centre.

“But if this El Nino situation occurs, the existing bowsers will not be sufficient to distribute water in large quantities. Water sources may dry up completely, leaving no sources to obtain water.

We may also have to consider purifying seawater and distributing it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has already warned of a potentially strong El Nino event in a decade, while the Department of Meteorology of Sri Lanka has indicated the possibility of drought conditions in the country during July-August.

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon caused by warmer-than-normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, leading to significant changes in weather patterns worldwide.

This El Nino event is predicted to cause countries such as Sri Lanka, India, and Australia to experience less than normal rainfall and severe drought.