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Some thorny issues to fix for a greener 2026
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
As Sri Lanka enters 2026, it carries forward a familiar set of unresolved environmental crises, which are long-standing problems that resurface year after year with little lasting progress. From climate-driven floods and landslides to human–wildlife conflict, forest loss, coastal erosion and pollution, these issues persist not for lack of answers but due to repeated reliance on ad-hoc decisions and short-term fixes.
Senior environmental lawyer, Jagath Gunawardana warns that 2026 must mark a turning point, calling for evidence-based planning and the political will to translate research and expert recommendations into sustained action, before these carried-forward crises once again fade into yet another year-end review.
Reflecting on the past year, there were some positive steps, such as the declaration of new protected areas, but these gains were overshadowed by mounting pressures on critical ecosystems, Mr. Gunawardana told the Sunday Times.
“We had much higher expectations from this government to pursue an environmentally friendly agenda as promised during the election, but on many occasions those commitments were not upheld,” says Hemantha Withanage of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), calling for better environmental governance in the new year 2026.
Following are some of the points that environmentalists highlighted as needing urgent attention in the new year.
Declaration of protected areas
Past year 2025 saw several sensitive ecosystems formally declared as protected areas. Among the most notable was the Galapitamada stream, the only known habitat of the Critically Endangered Bandula barb. The Nilgala forest, a biologically rich landscape, received enhanced protection, while the government reinstated protection for the Vidattaltivu mangrove forest, a key coastal ecosystem. These are good moves, but there are other land grabbing attempts such as Wandama Demaliya Reserve that needs to be stopped, Mr. Withanage pointed out.
HEC increased in 2025: Attempts to lift the injured tusker Bhathiya. Pic by R.J.M. Bandara
Plastic pollution and policy debates
Acting on a court ruling stemming from a legal case filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), the government banned the free distribution of polythene shopping bags at shops from November 1. While compliance has been uneven, supermarkets and many shops have largely adopted the measure. Deputy environment minister this week claimed that the move has reduced the use of polythene bags by 50%, a figure noteworthy. Some shops still continue use them and the ministry says that they want to enforce this slowly to other avenues as well in the year 2026. Environmentalists, however demand the need of introducing environmental friendly alternatives.
Human–elephant conflict escalates
The human–elephant conflict, already one of Sri Lanka’s most persistent conservation crises, worsened in 2025. By 26th of December, 425 elephant deaths along with 153 human fatalities had been recorded, close to the previous peak of 488 deaths in 2023. Gunshots, electrocution and hakka patas accounted for 73, 60, 53 elephant deaths respectively, accounting for nearly 70% of the known causes of the fatalities.
With 21 elephants killed, train accidents recorded the second highest death toll on record, surpassed only by the 24 deaths in 2023. The past year also saw the loss of several iconic tuskers. The prolonged suffering and death of tusker Bhathiya triggered national outrage.
A Presidential Task Force established in 2019, in consultation with the country’s leading elephant biologists, developed a science-based action plan to mitigate the human–elephant conflict, and this should be the way forward, says Supun Lahiru Prakash, an activist working on HEC. Emphasising the need for implementation, Mr. Prakash told the Sunday Times that executing these recommendations is critical to reducing HEC, at least from 2026 onwards, without persisting with failed experiments.
Nurdles keep washing ashore after a ship sank off Kerala, India
Monkey census controversy
In March, authorities conducted an unprecedented nationwide census of monkeys, peacocks, and giant squirrels to assess crop damage. The exercise, based on a five-minute counting method, estimated 6.5–7 million monkeys island-wide — figures many scientists described as ecologically implausible.
The episode highlighted deeper challenges in wildlife management. As habitats shrink and food sources decline, animals increasingly move into human-dominated landscapes, intensifying conflict and exposing gaps between political responses and scientific evidence.
Justice over the X-Press Pearl disaster
One of the most consequential environmental developments of the year came in July, when Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordered the owners and operators of the container ship X-Press Pearl to pay US$1 billion in compensation for ecological and economic damages.
The 2021 disaster released billions of plastic nurdles, killed marine life, and devastated coastal fisheries. The ruling marked a rare instance of large-scale environmental accountability, raising broader questions about international maritime law and the capacity of courts to deliver justice for ecological harm.
However, fresh concerns emerged when plastic nurdles from another vessel, MSC Elsa 3, which sank off India’s Kerala coast, began washing up on Sri Lankan beaches, compounding pollution along already stressed coastlines.
Mannar and contentious development
The northern coastal district of Mannar emerged as a focal point for environmental activism. Proposed mineral sand mining and wind power projects on Mannar Island drew strong opposition from scientists and local communities, who warned of irreversible ecological damage. Sustained protests forced authorities to delay environmental assessments, underscoring growing public engagement in land-use decisions.
Meanwhile, attempts to reopen a long-abandoned road through sensitive habitats were resisted by environmentalists and forest officials, who argued it would fragment ecosystems and encourage encroachment.
Cyclone Ditwah and its aftermath
Cyclone Ditwah capped the year with devastating floods and landslides across large parts of the country. Beyond the human toll, the disaster reshaped landscapes, mobilised massive amounts of debris and waste, and raised concerns about long-term soil health, freshwater ecosystems, and ecological resilience.
Floodwaters also exposed systemic failures in waste management, washing garbage — including hazardous materials — into waterways and straining municipal systems already struggling with urban growth and inadequate landfill capacity.
Looking ahead
If 2025 revealed anything, it is that Sri Lanka’s environmental challenges can no longer be separated from its social and economic realities. Climate extremes, wildlife conflict, pollution disasters, and contested development projects all demonstrate how deeply environmental health is intertwined with community wellbeing. “There are a lot of climate change related finances available internationally, but the government needs to be more proactive to claim them”, Withanage told the Sunday Times.
As the country looks ahead, sustained engagement with scientists, policymakers, and affected communities will be essential if Sri Lanka is to navigate its climate vulnerabilities while safeguarding its extraordinary biodiversity, Withanage says.
In 2025, nurdles continued to wash up on Sri Lanka’s shores following a ship sinking off Kerala, India, underscoring the urgent need for ocean conservation. The image above shows the scattered nurdles on Bentota beach in October 2025.
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