COLOMBO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has said living standards in Sri Lanka can drop by 5 to 7 percent because of climate-related vulnerabilities, local media reports said here Monday.

File photo: CGTN

UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer, speaking at the 2019 AIESEC Youth Speak Forum - "Transforming Youth, Transforming Sri Lanka," said about 19 million people in Sri Lanka live in locations that will become moderate or severe climate hotspots by 2050.

"The country has faced continuous cycles of floods and drought, making it one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The future is dependent on taking action on these issues now because living standards in Sri Lanka can drop by 5 to 7 percent because of climate-related vulnerabilities," Hanaa said.

She said she was pleased to recognize that Sri Lanka has taken great strides in allowing private and domestic sector investments in renewable energy and tapping the last vestiges of hydropower available to the country.