The cost of destruction

Multiple-choice questions. In order to be awarded CPD units you must answer the following five random questions correctly. If you fail the test, please reread the article before attempting the questions again.

What was the estimated total direct physical damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah?

USD985m 

USD1.735bn 

USD4.1bn 

USD689m

How much was the cyclone’s direct damage estimated to be equivalent to?

About 1 percent of GDP

It is too early to give an estimate

About 2.5 percent of GDP 

About 4 percent of GDP

Which sector suffered the most damage from Cyclone Ditwah?

Energy

Housing

Agriculture 

Infrastructure

Which province was the worst affected by the cyclone?

Sabaragamuwa

Central

Northern

Uva

How is Sri Lanka’s disaster response primarily financed?

Through climate insurance schemes 

Through post-event fiscal adjustments 

Through the country’s sovereign wealth fund 

Through international aid

Following Cyclone Ditwah, the 2026 budget deficit widened to:

5.1 percent of GDP 

6.5 percent of GDP

1 percent of GDP

4 percent of GDP 

Which of the following statements is true? Statement 1, International climate funds are often unsuitable after disasters because the approval process can be lengthy, or statement 2, International climate funds are often unsuitable after disasters because they remove autonomy from the affected country

Statement 2

Neither statement

Both statements

Statement 1

A major weakness of Sri Lanka’s disaster financing system is that it:

Relies heavily on foreign aid

Focuses on the long term

Focuses on the short term

Relies heavily on private investment 

The National Climate Finance Strategy (2025–2030) aims to:

Eliminate budget deficits entirely

Integrate climate priorities into fiscal planning

Remove reliance on foreign aid

All the other answers

What operational weakness did Cyclone Ditwah expose?

Siloed funding and timing issues over finance for rebuilding

Excessive influence foreign aid agencies

No system in place to triage infrastructure rebuilding

Excessive private sector influence 

1 Unit