We are now realising that climate change is no longer a concept. Rising temperatures, variability in precipitation, and extreme weather have become a part of everyday life. More than eighty percent of Sri Lankans living in poverty live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their food security and livelihoods.
With changing rainfall patterns over the past decade, the increase in floods and droughts is having a direct impact on rural food security and incomes. Sri Lanka is divided into three climatic zones based on rainfall variations: dry, intermediate and wet zones. The dry zone receives less than normal rainfall and has clearly defined dry periods. Seventy percent of the island’s land area is covered by the dry zone, which is the country’s main agricultural region.
About two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s cultivated land consists of small tanks and reservoirs fed by rainwater or rainfall. Several studies have shown that smallholder farmers who rely on rural irrigation systems are more likely to suffer from poverty and are more vulnerable to climate change than farmers who rely on major irrigation schemes in the dry zone.
These farmers face poverty and food insecurity due to the gradual decline in crop yields and productivity due to inadequate water supply and unpredictable changes in rainfall. The Wewugam Pubuduwa Project has been implemented over a period of eight years across the Mi Oya, Malwathu Oya, and Yan Oya river basins, using an ecosystem-based approach. It aims to transform water management and climate resilience in the dry zone.
Village irrigation systems
Through the rehabilitation of village irrigation systems, restoration of ecosystem functions, and promotion of data-driven decision-making, the project introduces Climate Smart Agriculture to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers particularly women. By combining traditional practices with modern technologies, the initiative enhances food, water, and livelihood security for these communities.
As the project reaches its final phase, preparations are under way to establish a national platform to share the lessons learned, innovative practices, and new experiences generated by the Wewugam Pubuduwa Project.
In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation, and the University of Peradeniya (serving as the academic partner), the project aims to promote integrated water management for food, water, and climate security. An international conference titled Climate Action Symposium 2025 is due to be held in Colombo from August 21–22 this year. The Climate Action Symposium 2025 is expected to bring together a delegation representing from India, Nepal, Germany, Bangladesh, South Korea, and Pakistan. A large number of senior national and international policymakers and political leaders are also due to participate.
Symposium
The symposium will be enriched by the presence of a panel of internationally recognised scholars. The international symposium will center around several key themes, including: climate adaptation at the regional level through challenges and lessons learned; opportunities and challenges in climate-smart agriculture; drinking water management solutions for climate adaptation; recent innovations in climate advisory services and early warning systems —a long with their successes and limitations in local application; rehabilitation, upgrading, and modernization of rural irrigation systems; integrated water and related resource management at the watershed level; gender equality; and youth engagement in climate adaptation.
It will also explore the policy, financial, and legal considerations associated with these opportunities and challenges. Through these discussions, the symposium is expected to serve as a platform for mobilizing and channeling foreign assistance into various government and private sector projects in Sri Lanka.
The writer, an engineer, is the Project Director, Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project (Wewugam Pubuduwa), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation
