A new report by CSF examines the rise of digital micro lending services, the household needs driving their use, their opaque terms, hidden costs, data privacy risks and aggressive collection techniques. Drawing on borrower interviews and an online review of major providers, the report explores why these services remain important to people excluded from traditional banking, despite the risks they pose. It identifies regulatory gaps and calls for coordinated oversight, greater transparency, stronger data protection, improved digital literacy and better social protection for vulnerable communities.

As Sri Lanka continues to brace for El Nino’s impacts in the coming months, and also plan for broader climate adaptation, it is crucial to ask what we are doing to adapt to increasingly varying climate impacts. Interventions so far are more focussed on vulnerable economic sectors and less on vulnerable people across the country. Research by CSF and CUL over the years points to critical gaps in how wider climate impacts are understood and addressed, and where stronger protections are needed.