Sri Lankan King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186 AD) is believed to have said "Let not even a small drop of water that comes from rain flow into the ocean without being useful to man". Similar statements have been made by many political leaders before and after him in many countries through centuries. And the normal engineering interpretation of this has always been "Let's harness as much water through dams and diversions as we possibly can... regardless".

We in Sri Lanka have an average rainfall of 2200 mm a year. Our drier regions have 900. In contrast, India has 1100 mm, and Australia a mere 455 mm. What are we talking about? Do we really have a problem in Sri Lanka?

We often hear or see phrases like 'water scarcity' and 'climate change' in the mass media, and in technical and scientific reporting and conference proceedings. Unfortunately these and many other phrases cover some realities - 1.2 billion people without safe access to water, 5 million children dying annually due to water-related diseases, lakes drying up, drought stricken farmers committing suicide--not only in Polonnaruwa, but also in India and even Australia.

This inaugural issue of "Water Matters" focuses on some of the work that IWMI has carried out in Sri Lanka from 1986 to date, and tries to capture the rationale for its evolving program.