Management of small irrigation tank cascade systems (STCS) in Sri Lanka: past, present and future

ABSTRACT

Small water storages are recognized as a key invention that facilitated the colonization of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. These small reservoirs, referred to as ‘tanks’, were initially constructed to collect the local runoff and this practice gradually evolved into the construction of larger tanks. Originally tanks were primarily managed by local communities to suit their livelihoods, often as linked Small Tank Cascade Systems (STCS). During the British colonial period, community-led management structures were disregarded and largely disbanded as government converted the governance of larger water storages into centrally managed structures. Since independence, the management of STCS has passed through various government agencies. This paper describes the management of STCS through history and identifies major issues in the current governance model and the challenges and opportunities associated with renewed interest in STCS to support adaptation to climate change. We conclude that contemporary challenges in using STCS for climate adaptation result from past inadequacies in the governance of this water resource.

KEYWORDS:

• Small tanks
• community
• Sri Lanka
• Small Tank Cascade Systems
• governance
• climate adaptation

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. We would like to acknowledge the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) for granting permission to reproduce a figure and Nanadana Mahakumarage for preparing the climatic zone map of Sri Lanka. We would like to acknowledge UNDP Sri Lanka, Janathakshan LTD and numerous individuals who provided access to literature.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Notes on contributors

Bhathiya Kekulandala

Bhathiya Kekulandala is a PhD researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. Bhathiya's background broadly extends to biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Current research interests are adaptive governance, resilience of social-ecological systems and climate change adaptation.

Brent Jacobs

Brent Jacobs is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. Brent's background is in agricultural science with broad experience in agricultural systems and natural resource management. His current research interests include: resilience, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of communities and Social-Ecological Systems for climate change and food security.

Rebecca Cunningham

Rebecca Cunningham is a trans-disciplinary social scientist with broad research interests and expertise including climate change adaptation, data analytics and visualization, extended realities (including augmented and virtual reality applications), natural resource governance, public uptake of policy, social network analysis and trust.