Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation situated in the Indian Ocean. Due to its close proximity to the equator, Sri Lanka is prone to hot climates – with temperatures averaging (monthly) between 22°C (72°F) and 33°C (92°F) in the lowlands, as well as wet climates via the occasional monsoon rainfall – averaging more than 50 inches (1,270 mm) per year in most parts of the country.
The country is also a bustling haven of flora and fauna – with a sizable portion of its land area occupied with forests, grasslands, and a dozen of major rivers.
Like many countries, Sri Lanka is also experiencing the adverse effects of climate – caught between harmful droughts from the hot seasons and destructive floods brought on by the wet season’s heavier rainfalls. Roughly 50 percent of its citizens living in low-lying, coastal areas are also in danger of the potentially-imminent sea level rise – a similar dilemma faced by many other island nations with such vulnerabilities.