COLOMBO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will strengthen disaster preparedness in agriculture, drinking water supply and energy sectors as the country assesses the possible impact of the El Nino climate pattern, the President's Media Division said Tuesday.

Farmers operate a reaper to harvest rice in a paddy field in Thalawathugoda, a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept. 8, 2024. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

The decision was made when the National Council for Disaster Management met Tuesday at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Dissanayake paid particular attention to the possible impact of El Nino and asked officials how far current forecasts were based on data and how they compared with previous predictions, the division said.

The meeting discussed water management plans, including the possibility of starting cultivation activities for the Maha season earlier than usual. The president also instructed the Environment Ministry to speed up the rehabilitation of tanks within wildlife reserves to reduce the impact of water shortages on wild animals.

Dissanayake said reservoir water capacities should be managed to ensure uninterrupted hydropower generation. He also stressed the need to accelerate the import of batteries required to store solar-generated energy.

Officials emphasized the need for a new legal framework that gives priority to disaster prevention, instead of the largely reactive approach under the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005.