The Regional Climate Change Conference (RCCC 2025), organized by IHE-Delft with the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM), University of Moratuwa as an academic partner, was successfully held from 13th to 15th October 2025 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo. The conference, themed “The Intersection of Climate Science, Adaptation, and Climate Financing: Focus on the Global South and Inclusivity,” brought together over 130 participants from 26 countries, collaborating researchers, policymakers, and development partners to advance regional climate resilience.
The UMCSAWM delegates, including faculty and postgraduate researchers, made significant contributions through a Special Session on “Integrated Modeling Approaches for Managing Climate-Resilient Water Systems and Hydroclimatic Extremes”, paper presentations, and technical discussions. Dr. Luminda Gunawardhana, Senior Lecturer from the Department of Civil Engineering/UMCSAWM, delivered a keynote address on “Beyond Conventional Drought Analysis: Unlocking Hidden Characteristics and New Possibilities under Climate Change with Advanced Remote Sensing”, attended by all participants.
Ms. Paboda Jayawardane, a UMCSAWM/Department of Civil Engineering postgraduate researcher, received the Best Presentation Award under the Water/Climate thematic area for her M.Sc. research study titled “Assessing the Efficacy of Physics-Informed Neural Networks in Flood Routing Simulations”. The RCCC 2025 strengthened regional collaboration and promoted inclusive climate science, empowering early-career professionals and female researchers across the Global South.
