ComBank brings stakeholders together to prepare Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector for El Niño
In response to emerging climate risks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon has launched a proactive initiative through its Development Credit Department, to equip Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector against the potential impacts of the 2026 El Niño climate pattern.
Seeking to move the industry from reactive loss management to early climate preparedness, the Bank partnered with leading state universities to execute a two-part educational and technological intervention in September 2026.
The initiative comes at a critical juncture. Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology reported an 80% probability of El Niño conditions emerging between June and August 2026, with effects expected to persist through November and beyond. As highlighted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), El Niño acts as a risk multiplier for rural livelihoods, food production, and water supply.
To mitigate these threats, the Bank’s initiative creates a collaborative network uniting academic institutions, agricultural extension services, technology providers, farming communities, and the financial sector.
The awareness programme on El-Niño and its impact on agriculture was supported by 12 Commercial Bank branches, and engaged with more than 1,100 farmers at 15 diverse locations, including Vattapalai, Muththajankaddu, Palampas, Oddusuddan, Siyambalanduwa, Lindula, Neluwa, Kalawana, Pannala, Madampe, Mannar, Vavuniya and Kumalamunai.
The series commenced in Kilinochchi at the District Secretariat’s Skill Development Hall. Organised in collaboration with the Bank’s Kilinochchi Branch and the University of Jaffna, the program brought together approximately 100 participants to focus on climate risk management. Key sessions led by Prof. Nagamuthu Piratheeparajah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna, alongside Dr. (Mrs.) Suvanthini Terensan, Head of the Department of Agricultural Biology, and Mr. Maheswaran Rajeethan, Managing Director of Inthira Group, educated local farmers on practical measures to safeguard agricultural yields against climate variability.
The second phase took place at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University. Led by Faculty Dean Prof. M. H. J. P. Gunaratne, Prof. N. S. Abeysingha, and senior lecturers Mr. E. J. Kosgollegedara, and Mr. H. G. S. C. Wickramasinsooriya, the session broadened the scope of climate resilience by introducing IoT-based smart weather monitoring. Designed to reach the next generation of agriculturalists, the 100 targeted attendees included 50 youth farmers from local farmer societies, 30 students and school leavers pursuing Agriculture and Bio-system Technology, and 20 Agriculture Instructors from the Department of Agriculture.
