Need to Strengthen the Bridge between the Water and Energy Professionals: An Example from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, a developing island in the Indian Ocean, is attempting to effectively utilize the available natural resources. Though the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project planned by energy authorities was submitted for approval as the best option, the project was to affect several scenic waterfalls. After a critical evaluation of various project alternatives, water and other professionals indicated that an option which claimed to have almost no effect on waterfalls would probably be the best option. This gave rise to a conflicting situation that resulted in a delay in project implementation. The work presented is a discussion of the evaluation of environmental impact assessment, highlighting the need to bridge the gap between energy, water and other professionals.