Environment

Despite the escalating emergency, the Taliban administration has continually sought to project an image of economic stability. Yet, the stark realities on the ground – shuttered trade routes, skyrocketing grocery bills, and overcrowded malnutrition clinics – tell a vastly different story.

As South Asia pushes ahead with billions of dollars in LNG infrastructure, the unfolding crisis in the Gulf is a stark reminder that energy security in a volatile world remains deeply intertwined with geopolitics.

According to the latest integrated food security phase classification (IPC) analysis, approximately 7.5 million people across vulnerable regions are grappling with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

While approximately 90 per cent of the land identification process has been completed, displaced communities remain uncertain about when permanent housing will become available. For many survivors, the prolonged wait for safe housing continues to compound the trauma of the disaster.

Government officials say the newly endorsed measures will be implemented through coordinated efforts across ministries, provincial authorities, and disaster-management agencies. The aim is to create a comprehensive national framework that integrates climate risk reduction into infrastructure planning, agriculture policy, and disaster response systems.

Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with an estimated 19 million people expected to live in moderate or severe climate hotspots by 2050.

Compounding the acceleration are insidious feedback mechanisms that PIK's research illuminates as potential game-changers. A March 2025 study from the institute projects that even low-to-moderate emission scenarios could unleash amplified heating over the next millennium.

The market’s verdict has been swift and unforgiving. Brent crude futures rocketed to $119.50 per barrel – the highest since mid-2022 – while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hit $119.48, capping a blistering 25 per cent surge in days.