Arundathie Abeysinghe

The number of container ships calling in July dropped by 17.8% compared to 2023. The lower costs of India's competitor and the critical situation in the Red Sea, the scene of Houthi attacks on cargo ships with repercussions on routes and costs, weighed heavily. On the contrary, container volumes between the main global hubs are growing.

The number of women seeking work abroad continues to rise: from 40 percent in the pre-pandemic period to 46 percent in 2023. The main destination remains the Middle East, where they find employment mainly as domestic workers. The government is trying to reverse this trend, but still more than a thousand choose to expatriate every month.

The ZeroPlastic Movement sounded the alarm. Unchecked waste disposal devastates marine and land environments, disrupting ecosystems and seriously endangering several animal species. A new thermal power plant in Kerawalapitiya is fired by solid waste; another is under construction in Karadiyana.

Despite Myanmar’s conflict, many Sri Lankans still travel to the former Burma in search of work but end up victims in trafficking networks. At least 40 have been freed recently, but dozens more are still captive. The authorities urge Sri Lankans, often vainly, to look for work at agencies registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).

A government report shows high levels of household debt. The main cause is a drop in average monthly income, forcing households to go into debt to meet daily food needs; for most, three meals a day are not guaranteed.

With an uncontrolled spread of firearms, the country is experiencing an unprecedented escalation of violence, linked to drug trafficking. Sri Lanka is now a global hub for the transit of heroin from South Asia to Europe. The shadows of the civil war that ended in 2009 weigh heavily. The most vulnerable, poor and unemployed young people are affected.

A petition filed by a lawyer was rejected, while the government itself fears an alleged regulatory inconsistency in arriving at a one-year extension. The Electoral Commission complains that it has not yet received all the necessary funds for the vote, which is supposed to be held by 16 October. Civil society: "Let's put an end to these manoeuvres and set a date for the elections".

In recent days, conservationists and local residents have prevented more than 300 people from travelling by bus on the Puttalam-Marichchikadai route, which runs through an area known for its biodiversity. The park had been created in 1938 and had become a battleground during the civil war. Only the Supreme Court has so far prevented the destruction of the sensitive ecosystem.

The artificial lake with two reservoirs in the North-Central Province was damaged. The original irrigation system, which dates to the 5th century, is crucial for thousands of people who still depend on it today. Multiple investigations have been launched, but residents fear local authorities are involved.

New Delhi has applied to explore a deposit near the Afanasy Nikitin seamount that might be within Sri Lanka’s jurisdiction. According to experts, India's desire is first and foremost to discourage further Chinese presence in the region.

Contacts with the IEA underway to define regulations and site selection criteria. Russia's Rosatom-already present in Bangladesh and India-is in the front row, but Chinese engineers and other major industry giants are also expected in the country. The crux of funding in a country still grappling with the severe economic crisis.

Sri Lanka and the Maldives are working together to avoid disputes and define their section of the ocean. The goal is to developed the area’s renewable sources potential. However, some doubt over Sri Lanka’s capacity to manage a large area.