Ancient Water Management and Governance in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka Until Abandonment, and the Influence of Colonial Politics during Reclamation

Abeywardana, Nuwan; Bebermeier, Wiebke; Schütt, Brigitta

doi:10.3390/w10121746

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The approach of integrated watershed management has evolved in terms of definition, scope, and application in water and land resources management since at least 200 BC and gained increasing attention in the late 20th century [3,[8][9][10]. Integrated watershed management is defined as the process of formulating and implementing a course of action involving natural and human resources in a drainage basin, taking into account the social, political, economic, and institutional factors operating within the drainage basin, the superordinate river basin, and other relevant regions to achieve specific social objectives [11].…”

Section: Integrated Watershed Management Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review

Katusiime

Schütt

2020

Sustainability

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Land tenure is given attention in the general discussions on conservation and management of natural resources, but the necessary holistic approach to understand the linkages is less considered. Thus, we considered a watershed as a unit of reference and Integrated Watershed Management as a holistic land and water resources management approach with various roles and touchpoints with land tenure issues. To examine the role of land tenure on the management of natural resources in watersheds, we reviewed and compiled literature that captures watershed issues, integrating aspects of land tenure, and aiming to identify the key land tenure roles, dynamics, and its influences on integrated watershed management. Land tenure is observed playing various roles in watersheds and, thus, also on integrated watershed management as an approach—as a driver of change, influence for investment decisions, an incentive for adoption of practices, and leading to sustainability. Land tenure dynamics range from land tenure security, land tenure forms, land access and acquisition modalities, and how these aspects of land tenure relate with integrated watershed management.

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Section: Integrated Watershed Management Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review

Katusiime

Schütt

2020

Sustainability

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“…Drainage (Kiul Ela)-the natural valley system and its streams prior to the tank construction, existence based on the flow accumulation and erosion. (5). Tree belt (Gasgommana)-a natural vegetation strip in the upstream area of the tank that helps to reduce evaporation by acting as a wind barrier and helps to conserve the biodiversity of the tank environment.…”

Section: The Irrigated Landscape and The Agriculture Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka: Management Transformation Assessment and Sustainability

et al. 2019

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The tank-based irrigated agricultural system in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka is one of the oldest historically evolved agricultural systems in the world. The main component of the system consists of a connected series of man-made tanks constructed in shallow valleys to store, convey and utilize water for paddy cultivation. Up to 10,000 tanks originating from the heydays of ancient kingdoms are still integrated in the current agricultural landscape. During the last two millennia, this indigenous system has undergone many changes in technological, management and socio-cultural norms. This research aimed to analyze the current management practices and existing indigenous aspects of the Dry Zone irrigated agricultural system from the viewpoint of farmers who are the main stakeholders of the system. Altogether, 49 semi-structured interviews were conducted in seven villages in the Anuradhapura district and a detailed survey was conducted in the village of Manewa with a mixed research approach. The basic elements of the indigenous landscape, agricultural practices and management structures based on Farmer Organizations were mapped and examined in detail. The analysis of results shows that the sustainability of the indigenous agricultural system is vulnerable to rapid changes due to modernization, market changes, education levels, and inconsistent management decisions. The case study demonstrates the value of preserving indigenous agricultural systems and the negative outcomes of current management interventions that neglect the indigenous system. Therefore, careful interventions and innovations are needed to adapt the tank-based indigenous agricultural system of the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka so as to preserve ecological and socio-economic sustainability.

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“…The tanks are connected by channels and spillways and allow water to be conveyed along the cascade and to irrigate interconnected agricultural fields. According to the ancient text sources, this tank-based irrigation system was initiated in the fourth/third century BCE and had its maximum extent in the twelfth century CE (Abeywardana et al 2018). Up to 10,000 of the tanks in use today were installed during antiquity, clearly documenting their significance and sustainability (Dahdouh-Guebas et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of the dry zone water harvesting and management systems in Sri Lanka during the Anuradhapura Kingdom; a study based on ancient chronicles and lithic inscriptions

et al. 2019

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A significant number of written sources report on the development of ancient dry zone water harvesting and water management systems in Sri Lanka. This paper attempts to address the lack of a systematic assessment of the information given by sources on the spatial-temporal development of the system, using methods of source criticism. After the removal of double entries, 255 text passages containing 837 different records on ancient irrigation were compiled as a database for the period from the fifth century BCE to the tenth century CE. The majority of the 625 analyzed records were derived from inscriptions, 212 records originated from chronicles. Geocoding was successfully performed for 40 records. It was possible to link 173 text passages to a specific king's reign. Altogether 362 records (43.2%) mention a tank or its construction. The categories "grants of irrigation" and "irrigation incomes" are represented with 276 records (33%) and 75 records (9%). Records on canals and irrigation management occur with a share of 8.2% and 6.2%, equaling 69 and 52 records. The spatial distribution of records in general largely corresponds to the extent of the Dry Zone and northern intermediate zone. With 490 records, Anuradhapura district shows the highest density of information on the ancient water harvesting and management system. The analyzed data are not equally distributed throughout the investigated period and show a distinct peak in the second century CE. In conclusion, the conducted analysis documents the potential of the analyzed source genres for the derivation of information on different aspects related to the spatial, temporal and administrative development of the ancient water management system in Sri Lanka.

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Ancient Water Management and Governance in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka Until Abandonment, and the Influence of Colonial Politics during Reclamation

Cited by 28 publications

References 21 publications

Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review

Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review

Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka: Management Transformation Assessment and Sustainability

Evolution of the dry zone water harvesting and management systems in Sri Lanka during the Anuradhapura Kingdom; a study based on ancient chronicles and lithic inscriptions

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