Institutional, Policy Development and Capacity Building for Promotion of
Rain Water Harvesting in Sri Lanka
A.H.Gunapala
D S S Abeysuriya (Ms)
Chief Sociologist - National Water Supply and Drainage Board - Sri Lanka.
E-mail: [email protected]
Project Secretary – ADB Third Project - National Water Supply and Drainage Board -Sri Lanka.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
At Present, Sri Lanka has high rainfall volume being about 5900cu.m/ capita per year. By its geographical position
and the location of its central hills, it is blessed with two monsoons namely; the South West (May- September) and
North East (December- February), interspersed by two inter-monsoons. Island-wide receive some amount of rain
annually even though varying in intensity, but never fails entirely.
Currently, Sri Lanka’s population is about 20 million and communities in most of the areas scarcity of safe drinking
water. However, present coverage of safe drinking water is 74%. The country has to reach the coverage of 85%
and 100% respectively in 2015 and 2025 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Rain Water
Harvesting (RWH) also contributes to achieve above targets. In this context, Sri Lanka has to develop a policy and
strategy as well as legislative support for introducing rain water harvesting system to encourage the community and
the institutions. All those arrangements have to be targeted to promote rain water harvesting system as one of the
options for drinking water. This paper illustrates the policy objectives, institutional arrangements and capacity
building programmes that are to be introduced in Sri Lanka in order to promote RWH.
Background
Sri Lanka has a long written history connected to water culture which is more than two thousand
five hundred years old. Its whole period was built up and developed to cope up with the water
scarcity in the dry season as well as to catch and collect water for multi purpose activities such
as; drinking, domestic, agriculture, and to sustain environment background and to beautify
villages as well as cities. First habitats in Sri Lanka were located around Malwathu, Mahaweli,
and Kelani rivers. Anuradhapura, the first kingdom of the country was established based on
Malwathu river in the North Central Province. The Abayawewa, the first man-made tank in the
country was built by King Pandukabaya the Great, for collecting rain water for agricultural and
the city requirements specially for drinking purpose. Not only that it was the first recorded tank
in Asia and heartening to note that this tank is still being used in original condition as was in the
past. This kingdom remained for nearly 1200 years and during this period more than 2000 tanks
had been erected to collect rain water for agricultural, domestic and drinking purposes. After
the kingdom of Anuradapura the Polonnaruwa became the 02nd kingdom of Sri Lanka. The rain
water harvesting technology practiced during this kingdom had also been very high and
wondered at the moment by the world. The kingdom was created by the King Parakkramabahu
the Great whose mission was to reach for a prosperous country. As a result of this endeavor, the
historical facts articulate that the country was then named as the “granary of the eastern
world”. Since, developing the country was the major mean to achieve his mission, the King
concerned more on collecting and protecting water. Thus, his motto regarding the water was
“Even a single drop of water reaches on the earth from the sky should not be allowed to reach
the sea without using”. This was not just a statement that a king made, but was well practiced in
planned manner. For example, the King built two major tanks: the Parakkrama Samudraya is the
biggest which gives an appearance similar to sea. This was built connecting three tanks together
in order to ensure water was sufficient for drinking, domestic requirements, agriculture fields and
environment equilibrium and gain the beauty of the city too.
The Parakrama Samudraya built by King Parakkramabahu
Sri Lanka’s civilization has more cultural
and special values connected with water.
The country is a beautiful island and it’s
central area has highlands as well as hills.
Major rivers originate from those hills and
flow to the Indian Ocean cooling and
fertilizing the golden surface and filling
the reservoirs. Most of the Kings of Sri
Lanka, until beginning of the colonial
period (1505), used those rivers to fill the
tanks in addition to collecting rain water
harvesting. Thus, it can be expressed that
the foundation of Sri Lankan culture and
civilization is based on WATER.
In the colonial period (1505 – 1948), except the Galoya Settlement Scheme, it has not been
reported about any major rain water harvesting systems. After the independence the leaders of
the National State concerned more on human development activities. In this context, urban
development and industrialization were the main approaches adopted to develop the country. The
urbanization process increased the density of population in urban centers due to migration of
unemployed rural peasants who came searching for employments in the cities. Consequently,
provision of water for the increased population became an issue. Accordingly, dependents on
piped borne water supply systems was increased in urban areas while number of dug wells has
increased in rural areas too.
However, in this phenomenon, the major issue occurred directly in relation to the urbanization
and industrialization was that the water sources becoming polluted in urban areas. On the other
hand, the ground water available in some rural area was also unsafe for drinking purposes
specially due to high content of fluoride and iron. Therefore, the government, and the planners
in the water sector are now seriously considering about promoting the methods of collecting and
securing water which were used in the ancient era, i.e. rain water harvesting application as a
small scale drinking purpose. Consequently, it was introduced, assisted and made people aware
of rain water as one of the options that can be effectively utilised for drinking water sources. As
a result of this process, the communities that have accepted the Rain Water Harvesting as a
reliable option for drinking water have been remarkably increased during the last three decades.
The following table shows and describes the present situation and it’s progress with sector actors
involvement too.
District
No of
Year
Project / Organization
units
Badulla
5,488
1995-99
Community Water Supply & Sanitation Project
Hambantota
2798
2000-04
3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation Project, Lanka Rain Water Harvesting
Forum, Intermediate Technology Development Group.
Monaragala
1944
2000- 04
3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation Project, Lanka Rain Water Harvesting
Forum, Intermediate Technology Development Group.
Puttalam
1145
2002-04
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum, 3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation
Project
Kegalle
784
2002 –04
3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation Project.
Anuradhapura
1324
2002-04
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum, 3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation
Project
Kalutara
345
2002-04
3rd ADB funded Water Supply & Sanitation Project
Kurunegala
577
1999-04
National Water Supply & Drainage Board, Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Kandy
109
1998-2002
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum, National Water Supply & Drainage Board
Colombo
41
2003-05
Urban Settlement Improvement Project, Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum.
Gampaha
22
2002-04
Community Water Supply & Sanitation Project
Trincomalee
19
2001-04
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum.
Vavunia
20
2001-04
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum.
Jaffna
16
2003-05
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum, National Water Supply & Drainage Board
Mannar
11
2005
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Ampara
16
2003-05
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Batticaloa
11
2004-05
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Kilinochchi
9
2005
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Polonnaruwa
10
2004
National Christian Council
Galle
2
1995-2005
Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
Nuwara Eliya
7
2005
PALM Foundation, Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum.
Total
15790
Institutional and Policy development:
National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is the pioneer organization of the water
sector in Sri Lanka which comes under the Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage. The
NWSDB has established district technical units/resource centers to assist, advise and guide
communities to identify their drinking water requirements. Technical know how of rain water
harvesting and assistance too are given to the community on their request through these centers.
There are three bodies to promote RWH. The
Division of Community Water Supply and
Sanitation of the Ministry of Urban Development
and Sacred Areas Development has special
programmes to promote RWH. Likewise, the
Rain Water Harvesting Unit of the Ministry of
Water Supply and Drainage also plays a big role
in this regard. In addition, Lanka Rain Water
Harvesting Forum (LRWHF) functions as the
apex body of the NGOs which involve in
promoting RWH. The Forum works very
cordially with the two government bodies in
encouraging and developing policies as well as
rendering legislative support to the rain water
harvesting sector.
RWH Tank built in a school for drinking purpose
Rainwater harvesting shall be made mandatory,
yet introduced in phases, in all areas under Municipal/Urban councils jurisdiction within a
prescribed time period and law, for certain categories of building and development works, and
shall be strongly promoted in all local authority areas.
Investments in this underutilized natural asset would be for life, and a gift to be bestowed for the
future. Hence, its economic benefits far outweigh its costs.
Benefits of implementing the RWH policy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Minimize usage demand of piped water
Manage demand for water and rationalize new investments
Increase decentralized water security & local self reliance whilst encouraging family
level operation/maintenance
Assist in meeting the MDGs on water and sanitation
Increase domestic water security, by reducing the unproductive labour, time and
hazards, faced mainly by women and children, in fetching water from a distance.
Improve access to safe water to marginalized communities
Reduce the monthly expenditure of water bill
Conserve the existing water table
Develop positive attitudes among people on RWH
Legislative Support
-
Amendments to Municipal Councils (MC)/ Urban Development Authority (UDA) by
laws on drainage
-
Amendments to the regulations of the local authorities mentioning rain water
harvesting facilities as a primary requirement in building plans and issuing of
“Certificate of Conformity” for occupying in buildings.
-
Amendments to Road Development Authority
(RDA) by-laws on drainage in the
construction of roads
-
Amendments to National Water Supply &
Drainage Board (NWSDB) by-laws to
incorporate harvesting rainwater as a source
of domestic water, which has equal status to
that of other traditional sources.
-
Accepting rainwater harvesting as an
acceptable option for future rural water supply
projects.
Structure of a RWS domestic tank
Capacity Building:
NWSDB has been arranging institutional and capacity building programmes for the sector actors,
especially for the communities. NWSDB has set up technical support units in district wise to
provide technical know-how to sector partners and communities in RWH on their request and
demand. Some districts have upgraded their technical support units up to the standard of resource
centers from where the needy parties could obtain necessary assistance without delay. The
purpose of the resource center is to facilitate necessary services to the communities that are in
need of and it has been witnessed that theses centers are of paramount importance to promote the
RWH among the communities that suffer from shortage of water.
The NWSDB has taken measures to build up capacities of the sector partners, especially the
community groups introducing the following activities.
-
Establishment of Rural Water Supply
Policy: This policy describes as to how
the Government will assist the rural
community with the demand responsive
approach.
-
Introduction of By-Laws:
By
introducing by-laws the Government
has given legal authority to the
Community Based Organizations to
implement and manage their water
supply systems smoothly
The policy establish to aware the public on Rain
Water Harvesting
-
Establishment of Rural Water Supply Policy: This policy describes as to how the
Government will assist the rural community with the demand responsive approach.
-
Guidelines & Training Manual: Publishing of guidelines and training manual
including rain water harvesting systems to the rural sector
-
Preparation of Leaf-lets & Posters: These materials are being used especially
for public awareness programmes including school children
-
Conducting of Training/Seminars/Workshops: these are done on the request of the
relevant parties and training covers the technical know-how and developing positive
attitudes among people of using rain water
-
Establishment of CBO Forums: Community Based Organization forums have
been established at local authority level to strengthen and recognize CBOs.
-
Establishment of Research Unit: The objective of this is to encourage researchers
to study rainwater harvesting technology and community acceptances, including
other rural water supply activities
Conclusion:
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has already identified the importance of the Rain Water
Harvesting as one of the sources of drinking water for which GoSL has developed all policies
and strategies and rendered legislative support already. As a result, all sector actors and partners
have gained more experience in this area and this will be definitely helpful to achieve the MDGs
within the target period.
References:
1. National Rainwater Policy and Strategies – Govt. of Sri Lanka – September 2005
2. Corporate Plan for National Water Supply and Drainage Board (2007 to 2011) Dece. 2006
3. Annual Census Report of Sri Lanka – Department of Census and Statistics - 2004
4.Guidelines for Rainwater Harvesting Systems – NWSDB - 2003