Natural hazards and population impact in Sri Lanka, 2010-2025.

Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate-sensitive natural hazards, yet long-term national evidence on disaster patterns and human impacts remains fragmented. Robust synthesis of historical disaster data is essential to inform prevention, preparedness, and public health resilience. This study aimed to characterize temporal trends, dominant hazard types, and population-level impacts of natural hazards in Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2025. A retrospective secondary analysis was conducted using publicly available humanitarian reports published between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2025, retrieved from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. Reports describing natural hazard events in Sri Lanka and documenting hazard type, date, location, affected population, displacement, or mortality were included. Events were cross-checked to avoid duplication. Descriptive epidemiological analysis summarized disaster frequency, temporal patterns, and aggregate human impacts. Between 2010 and 2025, natural hazards affected 14,477,357 people, displaced 1,497 277 individuals, and caused 2,218 deaths with 59 reported events. Floods, frequently occurring in combination with landslides, were the most frequent and impactful hazards, accounting for over 6 million affected individuals and 479 deaths. Cyclone-related disasters, although less frequent, were associated with the highest mortality (823 deaths). Droughts affected more than 6.5 million people but were rarely linked to displacement. Substantial inter-annual variability was observed, with major peaks in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2025. Natural hazards impose a sustained and substantial public health burden in Sri Lanka, predominantly driven by hydrometeorological hazards. Strengthening national disaster surveillance systems, integrating health impact reporting into disaster databases, and prioritizing flood- and landslide-risk reduction are critical to enhance population resilience aimed at increasing climate variability.