Srilanka, Dec. 7 -- Sri Lanka's latest bout of extreme weather has triggered one of the most widespread disasters since 1978, with landslides, floods, and structural failures reported across the island. According to Deputy Minister of Environment and geologist Anton Jayakody, the scale of devastation has been worsened by decades of unauthorised construction in high-risk zones, particularly on unstable slopes and near tank reservations. In this interview with the Sunday Observer he outlined how illegal development intensified the impact, the Government's advance preparations, and the long term measures being put in place to mitigate future climate-driven disasters.

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Q: Sri Lanka is experiencing a severe and destructive disaster s...