If Colombo can "harness" its nearly 5,000 acres of wetlands to "limit destruction wrought by floods", the city's victory would "provide valuable lessons for cities around the world".

If Colombo can "harness" its nearly 5,000 acres of wetlands to "limit destruction wrought by floods", the city's victory would "provide valuable lessons for cities around the world".

Image by Chandani Kirinde. Diyasaru Uyana, which translates into a park rich in water, is a 24-hectare (60-acre) section of the wetland, designated as a park in 2017.

Colombo was in 2018 accredited as a RAMSAR wetland city, despite losing more than 60% of its wetlands since the 1980s. Its current rate of wetland loss is around 1.2% per year.

The Baddagana wetland park located on the outskirts of Colombo attracts about 7,000 visitors per month, and acts as a floodwater retention area for the Sri Lankan capital, pictured here on May 9 ...