Sri Lanka's minister speaks at WUF13 about plans to build 10 satellite towns to ease congestion in Colombo

Sri Lanka plans to soon begin developing 10 satellite towns to reduce the burden on the country's capital, Sri Lanka's Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, Susil Ranasinghe, said at a panel discussion as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

He emphasized that urban development and strategic planning are closely intertwined with the challenges of climate change and natural disasters.

"One of the most striking recent examples was Tropical Cyclone Ditwah, which struck the island last November. Over the course of three days, it caused massive damage to the country's housing stock: over 113,000 homes were damaged, and approximately 6,000 were completely destroyed, primarily in the mountainous regions of the island's central part.

In response to this disaster, the government quickly launched several key initiatives. This included the establishment of the Central Highlands Protection Authority, tasked with ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable areas in the country's central region. It is estimated that over 100,000 families will need to be relocated from high-risk areas. Ten satellite towns have already been identified for their resettlement, and urban planning for these settlements is currently underway. To reduce the burden on the capital, Colombo, construction and development of these settlements is planned to begin in the near future," the minister said.