Srilanka, April 13 -- Vinisious Obrey Fernando, 42, points at a map of Keerimundalam, a village in the Kalpitiya peninsula in North-Western Sri Lanka.

"This is where my father's house used to be," he said. "Now our house and most of that land has gone to the sea." His face wore a sad smile.

About 20 years ago, Fernando's village was a tranquil coastal haven with a thriving community of nearly 300 families living in cadjan houses.

It had a school, a post office, and a church over 210 years old. Now, with the land swallowed by the encroaching sea, Fernando could only reminisce about what once was his family home and vibrant neighbourhood.

In 2014, he and his family relocated to the Kalpitiya town, with a population of around 96,000, li...