This is the twelfth in a series of articles from the Eco Church Team at St Columba’s, which are also published in our church magazine.

Water isn’t always a resource; it’s a privilege.

As I write this article we’re coming to the end of our time away visiting family and friends in Australia then onto Sri Lanka. Water has been a key feature of the last few weeks. Making sure we had filled our water bottles every day when out and about; being advised against drinking tap water in Sri Lanka.

Hotels seem to be doing what they can to conserve water by asking patrons to be mindful of their laundry requests with towels and bed sheets.

A card left in our room reads:
REDUCE – REUSE – RECYCLE
Small steps can go a long way in conserving our planet.
An indication that our global neighbours are working alongside ourselves in our mission to be Eco aware.

On the 23rd November ‘25 a major landslide struck the island after a week of heavy rain with fatalities and loss of homes. Further landslides devastated communities in the central, hilly areas. As we journeyed by road from Kandy in the centre of the country towards the west coast we witnessed heaps of soil, rocks and more piled up at the side of the roads. Workers have been relentless in clearing lines of communication, however the railway will take another 8 months to re-open.

Our driver for our tour lives in Negombo, not far from the capital Colombo; his house was flooded, along with many others. It’s a recurring theme in monsoon periods for many countries across the globe. The people here just seem to take it in their stride and get on with daily living as best they can. This attitude has made a deep impression on me and given me plenty to think about.