Sri Lanka

After nearly 30 years of the internal conflict in Sri Lanka, it came to an end in May 2009, and growing internal demand, especially for reconstruction, as well as the increase in foreign tourists accompanying the restoration of public security, is driving growth, resulting in a sustained high GDP rate at around eight percent. Sri Lanka aims to double its income and become a upper-middle income country by 2016, and taking the country's needs into account, JICA is promoting private investment, developing infrastructure to maintain economic growth, and actively stimulating farming and fishing villages to curb the expansion of economic disparity and promote rural development. Because Sri Lanka is vulnerable to natural disasters that occur each year due to heavy rains during the monsoon seasons, JICA is also engaging in efforts to curb the effects of these disasters.