(Colombo, 23 March 2016). Scientists, policymakers and civil society organizations, together with representatives from some of Sri Lanka’s biggest companies, gathered for a lively dialogue on the future of the island’s water at the headquarters of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pelawatte, Battaramulla, to mark this year’s World Water Day.
Guest of honor at the discussion, entitled Water, jobs and prosperity in Sri Lanka: Partnerships for sustainability, was the Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply.
Welcoming the guests, Herath Manthrithilake, Head, Sri Lanka Development Initiative, IWMI, stated that the country’s water resources were ample, but varied dramatically by season and geography. Managing this variability is likely to become more challenging with climate change.
Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support theÂ
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