The Water for Food Conference will be structured such that there are three main themes for presentations and discussions. The themes will run over 3 sessions (1 1/2 days) and will each include three sub-themes.

Theme 1: Irrigation for food security

Apart from raising land productivity, irrigation reduces regional imbalances in water availability and gives the farmer independence from rainfall variability. Hence, the role of irrigation in the progress towards food and environmental security in Sri Lanka cannot be overemphasised. Under this theme there will be the following sub-themes:

• Revitalizing Irrigation Systems for Food Security
• Rainfed Agriculture and Food Security: Opportunities and Constraints
• Enhancing Water Productivity on Irrigated and Rainfed Lands
  

Theme 2: Water quality and environment

This theme essentially relates to the interactions between humans and the environment. It covers a diversity of issues especially the impacts of human induced climate change on water availability and quality, and their implications for food production. The discussion will also include the issue of water quality degradation as a result of human activities, the impact that this may have on food production, health and the environment and what can be done about it. Where confounding situations make it difficult to directly address water quality degradation it has been found that water of lower qualities can be used productively, for irrigation for example, provided they are appropriately managed and strategies are put in place to protect farmers, consumers and the environment. These many issues will be debated and the problems and opportunities in Sri Lanka will be identified through three sub-sessions:

• Water Quality, Irrigation, Environment and Health
• Water Recycling for Productive Use
• Climate Change and Agriculture

Theme 3: Policies and institutions for water management

The best possible water management strategy would require the necessary condition of an enabling and responsive policy framework to be successful. The right policies facilitate the formation and sustenance of institutions which address the water management needs of the moment. They are flexible enough to accommodate reasonable variations in service demands and are responsive enough to adapt to changing realities. Central to the development and implementation of any policy is knowledge about the resources that the policy seeks to manage. This session will have as its focus the current state of knowledge about water resources, irrigation systems and agriculture; how this knowledge can be systematically improved and managed; and how it can effectively inform policy. It is hoped that by the end of the three sessions there will be some concrete plans for monitoring and managing relevant data. The sub-themes designed to achieve this output are:

• Policy Interventions to Improve Water Productivity and Access to Water
• Data and Information Management for Water Management
• Methodologies for a National Water Resources Assessment
• Policies and Institutional Reforms to Enhance Rainfed and Irrigated Agriculture