ADAPT – Sri Lanka

Agricultural Decision Making and Adaptation to Precipitation Trends in Sri Lanka

Project Background

Small-scale farmers in developing countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Our research aims to gain a better understanding of how farmers in Sri Lanka, in particular, are adjusting their practices to deal with climate change effects. Since 2010, researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Energy and Environment (VIEE) have partnered with the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) in Sri Lanka to examine the connections between agricultural adaptation and climate change in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.

Why Sri Lanka?

Our initial interest in Sri Lanka started through the connections of a Sri Lankan researcher at VIEE. Through our preliminary work we learned that the country’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture and its sophisticated irrigation system made it an ideal place to study the linkages between climate change, adaptation, and food security. In a sense, Sri Lanka is a microcosm of the sort of stressors facing both developing and developed nations worldwide.

Go to Project Overview to learn more details regarding the project.