Climate Change Vulnerability and Its Impact on A Small and Medium-Scale Agricultural Community in Rural Sri Lanka; with Special Reference to Galle District

Climate change is a global concern caused by human activities, impacting ecosystems and socio-economic ecology and systems in small cities and rural communities. In particular, communities that rely on the environment and natural resources for livelihood have become more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. In rural Sri Lanka, climate change poses challenges for the agricultural community in various manner. This study explores the vulnerability and impact of climate change on small and medium-scale rural agricultural communities in the Galle District of Sri Lanka. The study involved interviews with key informants and semi-structured interviews with impacted villagers, revealing findings such as; a decline in livelihood productivity, food insecurity, livelihood changes, migration and labour shortages, changes in employment patterns in the agriculture sector to other informal patterns, increased cost of adaptation to climate change incidents, threat to traditional knowledge, and loss of agricultural-friendly biodiversity. Addressing these impacts requires a holistic approach that integrates social and technological aspects, emphasising the importance of collaboration and local knowledge in enhancing resilience in the agricultural sector.