News

Inaugural national steering committee meeting held for the Project “Safe and Resilient Water Supply for Western Cities”

3 June 2026, Colombo, Sri Lanka. UN-Habitat, together with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) is implementing the project “Safe and Resilient Water Supply for Western Cities – Integrating Climate Resilience into Water Safety Plans of the Ambatale Water Supply Scheme”. The project is funded through a USD 469,232 grant from the Coalition for ...

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Strengthening Fish Value Chains and Livelihoods in Mullaitivu District

In Sri Lanka’s Mullaitivu District, fishing communities face challenges to sustain their livelihoods.  They lack adequate knowledge and skills in proper fish handling and processing methods, as well as quality equipment and cold storage facilities. Unhygienic fish processing practices, poor storage and weak transportation systems are causing high post-harvest losses, leading to reduced incomes. To ...

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Final National Steering Committee Meeting for the Strengthening Socioeconomic Resilience of Communities Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka Project held in Colombo.

4 June 2026, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Marking the successful conclusion of the USD 5.5 Mn, KOICA – funded project “Strengthening Socioeconomic Resilience of Communities Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka”, the final national steering committee meeting was held today at the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils ...

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KOICA hands over key water supply and sanitation facilities to the City of Nuwara Eliya

12 May 2026, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka.  Concluding an impactful four year, mutli-sector, community resilience project in partnership with UN-Habitat and the Government of Sri Lanka, the Korea International Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) handed over three vital water and sanitation facilities to the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council and community members. These facilities were established ...

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Promoting Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture in Mullaitivu District

30 April 2026, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka. Farmers in Sri Lanka’s Mullaitivu District are facing difficulties in pursuing their agricultural livelihoods due to the adverse impacts of climate change in the region. With changing rainfall patterns, prolonged dry periods and poor soil conditions, farming communities are experiencing lower crop production, resulting in reduced household incomes and ...

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Strengthening water security and climate resilience in Mullaitivu by improving irrigation infrastructure

16 March 2026, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka. Farming communities in Mullaitivu District are facing increasing challenges to access water for their agricultural livelihoods due to erratic rainfall, flooding, prolonged dry spells, and saltwater intrusion. The rehabilitation of minor irrigation infrastructure has been identified as vital to directly address both water insecurity as well as climate change ...

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Water for Life: Cyclone Ditwah Flash Appeal by UN-Habitat

23 December 2025, Colombo, Sri Lanka Cyclone Ditwah impacted 2.2 million people across Sri Lanka, due to torrential rains, landslides, and severe flooding. As a result, water infrastructure has collapsed – 413,000 household water connections are disrupted, 538 rural schemes are down, and 45 sewer treatment plants are non-functional. Vulnerable communities including women and children ...

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South and Southeast Asia: A call for resilient recovery in the wake of climate disasters

Nairobi, 2 December 2025 – The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) expresses its profound sorrow and solidarity with the governments and people affected by the catastrophic flooding and landslides triggered by the convergence of tropical cyclones Senyar and Ditwah. UN-Habitat calls on all partners and humanitarian actors to support life-saving activities to prevent more ...

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CDRI Awards $469,232 (LKR 142 million) Grant to UN-Habitat and National Water Supply and Drainage Board for Safe and Resilient Water Supply Project in Sri Lanka

5 October 2025, Colombo, Sri Lanka. UN-Habitat, together with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) officially launched a new project in Sri Lanka entitled: Safe and Resilient Water Supply for Western Cities – Integrating Climate Resilience into Water Safety Plans of the Ambatale Water Supply Scheme. This project is funded through a US$ ...

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