Overall high annual precipitation in Sri Lanka belies significant spatial and temporal variation ... more Overall high annual precipitation in Sri Lanka belies significant spatial and temporal variation in surface water availability. The ‘dry zone’ comprising two-third of Sri Lanka’s land area receives significantly less rainfall and has high precipitation rates and a five-month dry season. Nevertheless, these regions account for the majority of rice production, the staple crop, thanks largely to the ancient hydraulic civilization based on networks of rainwater harvesting (irrigation) tanks. This manipulation of surface water resources including modern surface irrigation schemes continues to form the backbone of dry zone farming. Groundwater irrigation has remained in the shadows except in the North where surface flows are absent. This scenario is now changing as population growth; poorly maintained infrastructure; commercial agriculture; sectoral competition for water and climate change combine to exert severe pressure on surface water resources. Since the dry zone is also home to a large number of Sri Lanka’s poor households, and a close association exists between high poverty clusters and access to irrigation, the implications of water insecurity for a range of poverty indicators are clear. Not surprisingly, these pressures have prompted an increasing recourse to groundwater in several parts of the dry zone, as governments and farmers recognize the imperative to increase agriculture output, promote crop diversification, and improve agrarian incomes. Yet, with limited groundwater potential, limited detailed knowledge of this resource, and under-developed groundwater-oriented institutions, it is far from certain whether future groundwater exploitation can steer away from anarchy.
This report is a contribution to an assessment of the current status of agriculture in Cambodia, ... more This report is a contribution to an assessment of the current status of agriculture in Cambodia, focusing on the linkages between agriculture and water, mainly in the form of irrigation. It seeks to view current government policies on agriculture and irrigation in the context of experiences on the ground, as communicated through the many field studies that cover varied aspects of performance in the agriculture sector and irrigation schemes. In an effort to identify future research areas, this review examines the status quo, and connects or disconnects with stated policy through a broad lens to capture strengths and challenges across crop production, irrigation management and post-harvest contexts. It places irrigation under scrutiny in terms of its value as a major area of government expenditure in recent years, and asks whether it presents the best potential for future gains in productivity, when compared with the prospects offered by investments in other aspects of agriculture. Th...
Wetlands are habitats with temporary or permanent accumulation of water. The degradation and loss... more Wetlands are habitats with temporary or permanent accumulation of water. The degradation and loss of wetlands is more rapid than that for other ecosystems, and wetland-dependent biodiversity in many parts of the world is in continuing and accelerating decline. They have been confirmed to deliver a wide range of critical and important services vital for human well-being. Therefore, it is clear that sound wetland management is now expected to not only consider conserving the ecological integrity of the ecosystem but also to pay specific attention to the well-being of local people, thereby contributing to poverty alleviation. Wetlands, both fresh and marine, have a multitude of benefits, in addition to environmental benefits, such as for agriculture, flood control, water purification, fisheries and recreation. For the maintenance and sustainability of wetlands the crucial requirement is water \u2013 a resource that has multiple demands and competition. The main competitor for the water...
... Cover photo by Mr. Sandaruwan Wickrama, Web Services Officer, International Water Management ... more ... Cover photo by Mr. Sandaruwan Wickrama, Web Services Officer, International Water Management Institute. ... 95 M. Matin, V. Smakhtin, M. Palliyaguruge, S. Mohideen, N. Yapa, A. Ranjith, S. Gunasinghe and P. Jayakody Paper 9. Sri Lanka's Water Policy: Themes and Issues ...
Paper presented at the 3rd International Perspective on Current and Future State of Water Resourc... more Paper presented at the 3rd International Perspective on Current and Future State of Water Resources and Environment, Chennai, India, 5-7 January 2010. Paper No. 551
Overall high annual precipitation in Sri Lanka belies significant spatial and temporal variation ... more Overall high annual precipitation in Sri Lanka belies significant spatial and temporal variation in surface water availability. The ‘dry zone’ comprising two-third of Sri Lanka’s land area receives significantly less rainfall and has high precipitation rates and a five-month dry season. Nevertheless, these regions account for the majority of rice production, the staple crop, thanks largely to the ancient hydraulic civilization based on networks of rainwater harvesting (irrigation) tanks. This manipulation of surface water resources including modern surface irrigation schemes continues to form the backbone of dry zone farming. Groundwater irrigation has remained in the shadows except in the North where surface flows are absent. This scenario is now changing as population growth; poorly maintained infrastructure; commercial agriculture; sectoral competition for water and climate change combine to exert severe pressure on surface water resources. Since the dry zone is also home to a large number of Sri Lanka’s poor households, and a close association exists between high poverty clusters and access to irrigation, the implications of water insecurity for a range of poverty indicators are clear. Not surprisingly, these pressures have prompted an increasing recourse to groundwater in several parts of the dry zone, as governments and farmers recognize the imperative to increase agriculture output, promote crop diversification, and improve agrarian incomes. Yet, with limited groundwater potential, limited detailed knowledge of this resource, and under-developed groundwater-oriented institutions, it is far from certain whether future groundwater exploitation can steer away from anarchy.
This report is a contribution to an assessment of the current status of agriculture in Cambodia, ... more This report is a contribution to an assessment of the current status of agriculture in Cambodia, focusing on the linkages between agriculture and water, mainly in the form of irrigation. It seeks to view current government policies on agriculture and irrigation in the context of experiences on the ground, as communicated through the many field studies that cover varied aspects of performance in the agriculture sector and irrigation schemes. In an effort to identify future research areas, this review examines the status quo, and connects or disconnects with stated policy through a broad lens to capture strengths and challenges across crop production, irrigation management and post-harvest contexts. It places irrigation under scrutiny in terms of its value as a major area of government expenditure in recent years, and asks whether it presents the best potential for future gains in productivity, when compared with the prospects offered by investments in other aspects of agriculture. Th...
Wetlands are habitats with temporary or permanent accumulation of water. The degradation and loss... more Wetlands are habitats with temporary or permanent accumulation of water. The degradation and loss of wetlands is more rapid than that for other ecosystems, and wetland-dependent biodiversity in many parts of the world is in continuing and accelerating decline. They have been confirmed to deliver a wide range of critical and important services vital for human well-being. Therefore, it is clear that sound wetland management is now expected to not only consider conserving the ecological integrity of the ecosystem but also to pay specific attention to the well-being of local people, thereby contributing to poverty alleviation. Wetlands, both fresh and marine, have a multitude of benefits, in addition to environmental benefits, such as for agriculture, flood control, water purification, fisheries and recreation. For the maintenance and sustainability of wetlands the crucial requirement is water \u2013 a resource that has multiple demands and competition. The main competitor for the water...
... Cover photo by Mr. Sandaruwan Wickrama, Web Services Officer, International Water Management ... more ... Cover photo by Mr. Sandaruwan Wickrama, Web Services Officer, International Water Management Institute. ... 95 M. Matin, V. Smakhtin, M. Palliyaguruge, S. Mohideen, N. Yapa, A. Ranjith, S. Gunasinghe and P. Jayakody Paper 9. Sri Lanka's Water Policy: Themes and Issues ...
Paper presented at the 3rd International Perspective on Current and Future State of Water Resourc... more Paper presented at the 3rd International Perspective on Current and Future State of Water Resources and Environment, Chennai, India, 5-7 January 2010. Paper No. 551
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