Sri Lankans watch the sky. And watch. And watch. The rain they’re looking for just doesn’t come.
Drought has lasted for months on the island nation in South Asia. Reservoirs dry out. Farmers wait for the monsoons they need to nourish crops. (A monsoon is a seasonal pattern of winds and rain.)
“We feel like we are being hit from every side,” says Samantha Pushpakumara. “If there is no water and we have to give up farming, we will have nothing left to live on.” (In Sri Lanka, “Samantha” is a male name.)
Weather experts blame the lack of rain on the strong El Niño weather system.
Sri Lanka gets rain from two main monsoon systems. The southwest monsoon runs from around May to September. Normally, up to 30% of the nation’s rainfall comes from this monsoon. But this year has brought little.
Showers bring some relief to parts of the island. But experts say scattered rain isn’t enough to refill reservoirs and groundwater. In many parts of the island, people ration water so there’s enough to go around.
People get thirsty. Animals do too. Authorities use water tankers and underground pipes. They refill watering holes inside wildlife reserves.
Rice farmers particularly struggle. Roads run between villages and rice paddy fields. Small vegetable plots sit beside homes. During wetter years, rain fills irrigation tanks. Farmers release the water to irrigate crops.
This year, the ground is dusty and brown. Vegetable gardens wither. Cattle search for food. Wells fail in some villages. People wait outside their homes with plastic barrels, bottles, and jerrycans. The Sri Lankan government and charities send water deliveries.
Indika Nuwankumara is a father of three. Without rain for four months, his rice, okra, and eggplant crops failed.
“The daytime heat is unbearable,” he says. “Even using an electric fan inside our houses is not helpful because it blows warm air.”
Pray for God’s provision for the people of Sri Lanka. Pray that many would come to know Him.
He gives rain on the Earth and sends waters on the fields. — Job 5:10
