Water, Land and Ecosystems - Sri Lanka

Sustainable surface water storage development pathways and acceptable limits for river basins

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:41:38 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Eriyagama, Nishadi
Smakhtin, V.
Udamulla, L.

This paper addresses the questions of acceptable upper limits for storage development and how best to deploy storage capacity in the long-term planning of built surface water storage in river basins. Storage-yield curves are used to establish sustainable storage development pathways and limits for a basin under a range of environmental flow release scenarios. Optimal storage distribution at a sub-basin level, which complies with an identified storage development pathway, can also be estimated. Two new indices are introduced—Water Supply Sustainability and Environmental Flow Sustainability—to help decide which pathways and management strategies are the most appropriate for a basin. Average pathways and conservative and maximum storage limits are illustrated for two example basins. Conservative and maximum withdrawal limits from storage are in the range of 45–50% and 60–65% of the mean annual runoff. The approach can compare the current level of basin storage with an identified pathway and indicate which parts of a basin are over- or under-exploited. A global storage–yield–reliability relationship may also be developed using statistics of annual basin precipitation to facilitate water resource planning in ungauged basins.

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Eriyagama, Nishadi; Smakhtin, V.; Udamulla, L. 2021. Sustainable surface water storage development pathways and acceptable limits for river basins. Water, 13(5):645. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050645]

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Open Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113174

Reuse of food waste as animal feed in Sri Lanka

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:41:38 +0000

TypeConference Paper

Languageen

Authors

Jayathilake, Nilanthi
Aheeyar, Mohamed
Drechsel, Pay

The use of food waste (FW) from food services as animal feed through informal agreements has been in practice for many years in Sri Lanka. However, data to show the scale of this practice are inadequate. This paper aims to study the extent of FW diverted to piggeries and the opportunities and challenges in reusing FW as animal feed. The data were collected via telephonic survey from 24 piggery farmers in the Western Province in May 2020. Results revealed that 50% of farmers were rearing 100-300 pigs. Farmers used FW as a major feed source to satisfy 82% of total feed requirement on an average. About 40% of the farmers collected the FW from multiple sources such as hotels, restaurants and canteens. Given that the piggery farms are located in peri-urban areas, the average distance traveled by the farmers is 38 km up and down which indicated the value of FW for them. FW was supplied mostly free of charge; however, 26% of the farmers pay LKR 2 to 40/kg when supplied by intermediaries. FW was collected daily, and the amount collected by the farmers varies 50 to 10000 kg/day depending on demand and supply, with 75% of farmers collected less than 1000 kg/day.

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Jayathilake, Nilanthi; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Drechsel, Pay. 2021. Reuse of food waste as animal feed in Sri Lanka. In Malathy, P.; Kajanthy, S.; Rukshani, P.; Sarmatha, P. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Vavuniya University International Research Conference (VUIRC) 2021 on Human Empowerment Through Research Excellence, Virtual Conference, 15 October 2021. Vavuniya, Sri Lanka: University of Vavuniya. pp.51-55.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116097

Compost quality and markets are pivotal for sustainability in circular food-nutrient systems: a case study of Sri Lanka

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:41:38 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Roy, E. D.
Esham, M.
Jayathilake, Nilanthi
Otoo, M.
Koliba, C.
Wijethunga, I. B.
Fein-Cole, M. J.

Sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a critical issue around the world, especially in South Asia where waste generation is expected to double by 2050. Closing the food-nutrient cycle through composting biodegradable MSW has the potential to meet human needs, including sanitation and food security, while protecting the environment. We use an interdisciplinary case study approach including systems thinking to assess Sri Lanka’s national MSW composting system, which primarily receives residential and commercial food waste. We embed quantitative compost quality analysis and interviews at 20 composting facilities within a broader qualitative assessment informed by ~60 stakeholders in total. This approach yields insights on how institutional, economic, social, and biophysical aspects of the system are interrelated, and how challenges and solutions can create undesirable and desirable cascading effects, respectively. Such dynamics can create risks of composting facility failure and unintended consequences, diminishing the chances of achieving a sustainable circular food–nutrient system. Compost quality, which was variable, plays a pivotal role within the system—a function of program design and implementation, as well as a determinant of value capture in a circular economy. We make several recommendations to inform future efforts to sustainably manage biodegradable MSW using composting, drawing on our case study of Sri Lanka and prior case studies from other nations. Key among these is the need for increased emphasis on compost product quality and markets in policy and program design and implementation. Targeted measures are needed to improve waste separation, boost compost quality, effectively use compost standards, encourage compost market development, ringfence the revenues generated at municipal compost plants, and identify efficient modes of compost distribution. Such measures require adequate space and infrastructure for composting, resource investment, local expertise to guide effective system management, strong links with the agriculture sector, and continued political support.

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Roy, E. D.; Esham, M.; Jayathilake, Nilanthi; Otoo, M.; Koliba, C.; Wijethunga, I. B.; Fein-Cole, M. J. 2021. Compost quality and markets are pivotal for sustainability in circular food-nutrient systems: a case study of Sri Lanka. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5:748391. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.748391]

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116358

Bundled weather index insurance pilot for drought-affected areas in Sri Lanka: reaching marginal farmers

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:41:38 +0000

TypeWorking Paper

Languageen

Authors

Aheeyar, Mohamed
Samarakoon, Kalani
de Silva, Sanjiv

Drought is an almost annual phenomenon in Sri Lanka, occurring at varying degrees of severity and affecting many parts of the country. These droughts cause significant damage to agriculture and other economic and social activities. This paper assesses the effectiveness of satellite-based weather Index insurance (WII) bundled with real-time climate and agronomic advisory services provided to farmers’ mobile phones. The aim is to enhance the drought resilience of diverse groups of farmers by providing solutions and strategies to extend bundled insurance products to more people and address equity issues. In this pilot, an insurance product was introduced to farmers in a village in the North Central Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. WII products are seen as a part of the solution to reducing farmers’ risk to climate change. However, in many places, the structure of insurance schemes in the agriculture sector has failed to reach small-scale and marginal farmers who are most in need of risk transfer mechanisms. Based on a farmer survey, we extracted lessons from implementing a bundled insurance scheme as a pilot project to explore the utility of farmer organizations as an entry point for engaging different farmer groups and ensuring they can understand the WII insurance products and can make informed choices. The survey results show that efforts made at the outset to understand contextual issues and challenges contributed to an effective product design and rollout approach. The rollout was more effective due in part to a partnership with an established local organization while adopting an aggregator model. Covid-19 mobility restrictions prevented full implementation of the rollout. Index insurance bundled with mobile weather and agronomic advisories increased farmer resilience and reached diverse groups. Farmers emphasized that being able to assess the costs and benefits based on understanding how key elements of the product work is key to their future engagement with such products, which highlights the importance of investing in awareness raising through a blend of print, verbal and visual tools that make complex products understandable to stakeholders with low levels of literacy.

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Aheeyar, Mohamed; Samarakoon, Kalani; de Silva, Sanjiv. 2021. Bundled weather index insurance pilot for drought-affected areas in Sri Lanka: reaching marginal farmers. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 35p. (IWMI Working Paper 201) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2021.233]

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Open Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116923

Adaptation to climate variability in Sri Lanka: a case study of the Huruluwewa Irrigation System in the Dry Zone

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:41:38 +0000

TypeWorking Paper

Languageen

Authors

Amarasinghe, Upali A.
Amarnath, Giriraj
Alahacoon, Niranga
Aheeyar, Mohamed
Chandrasekharan, Kiran
Ghosh, Surajit
Nakada, Toru

This paper assesses how the Huruluwewa tank (HWT) irrigation system in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka adapts to climate variability. The lessons learned in the HWT will be helpful for many water-scarce irrigation systems in the country, which bear high climate risks. Recurrent droughts are the bane of agriculture in the Dry Zone, comprising three-fourths of the land area spread over the Northern, North Central and Eastern provinces. In the HWT, the fifteenth largest canal irrigation system in the country, adaptation to climate variability happens on several fronts: changes made by the irrigation management to the water release regime; changes in the cropping patterns practiced by farmers in the command area; and the use of groundwater, which is recharged from rainfall, reservoir storage and canal irrigation, as supplemental irrigation. Such adaptation measures ensure that the available water supply in the reservoir is adequate for 100% cropping intensity over two cropping seasons, even in drought years, and enhances economic water productivity in terms of value per unit of consumptive water use. Moreover, irrigation management should consider groundwater recharge through canal irrigation as a resource, which brings substantial agricultural and economic benefits not only for the command area but also outside the command area. The adaptation patterns implemented in HWT demonstrate how water-scarce irrigation systems can achieve higher economic water productivity, i.e., generate ‘more income per drop’ to enhance climate resilience for people in and outside the canal command areas.

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Amarasinghe, Upali A.; Amarnath, Giriraj; Alahacoon, Niranga; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Chandrasekharan, Kiran; Ghosh, Surajit; Nakada, Toru. 2021. Adaptation to climate variability in Sri Lanka: a case study of the Huruluwewa Irrigation System in the Dry Zone. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 30p. (IWMI Working Paper 200) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2021.229]

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115928

Dietary exposures to metals in relation to chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu) in Sri Lanka

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 11:36:32 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Nyachoti, S.
Godebo, T. R.
Okwori, O. F.
Jeuland, M. A.
Manthrithilake, Herath

Exposure to metals has been hypothesized as possible cause of chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu) in Sri Lanka; however, evidence is inconclusive. We measured the concentrations of nephrotoxic metals (As, Pb, and Cd), as well as Se in rice (a staple grain in Sri Lanka) and other grains consumed in CKDu endemic and non-endemic regions using Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our results showed comparable mean concentrations (in µg/kg) of 24.5±18, 7.3±6.4, and 14.2±15 for As, Pb, and Cd, respectively, in rice from endemic regions and 17.7±4.7, 12.7±6.8, and 17.8±16 in rice from non-endemic regions. Selenium concentrations (in mg/kg) were 0.05±0.02 in rice cultivated in both endemic and non-endemic regions. Arsenic and Cd concentrations were significantly higher in rice compared to other grains, which themselves had higher Se than rice. All samples were below the Codex standards established for Cd (400 µg/kg for rice; 100 µg/kg for cereal grains), Pb (200 µg/kg) and inorganic As (200 µg/kg) for white rice. Our findings show that dietary exposure to low levels of As, Pb, Cd, and inadequate Se in staple grains cannot be clearly linked to CKDu, suggesting that the disease could be multifactorial. Additional research is needed to determine the contribution of other risk factors such as lifestyle habits and heat stress to plan preventive strategies for reducing CKDu health cases in Sri Lanka.

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Nyachoti, S.; Godebo, T. R.; Okwori, O. F.; Jeuland, M. A.; Manthrithilake, Herath. 2022. Dietary exposures to metals in relation to chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. Exposure and Health, 14(1):63-73. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00418-4]

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Limited Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115278

Food waste measurement as a tool for prevention and reduction: A case study from a hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 11:36:10 +0000

TypeBrief

Subjects

Policy

Languageen

Authors

CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems
International Water Management Institute

The amount of food waste generated in Local Authority areas of Sri Lanka ranges between 50% and 76% of the total municipal solid waste, with an average of 56% (FAO and IWMI 2021a). The total food waste generated is estimated to be nearly 4,000 tons/day (Arachchige et al. 2019; FAO and IWMI 2021b). In 2020, a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) focusing on three major waste disposal centers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka – Karadiyana, Kerawalapitiya and Kaduwela – revealed that about 724 tons of the total waste generated in a day is food waste (i.e., 55% of total waste).

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CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 2021. Food waste measurement as a tool for prevention and reduction: A case study from a hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 8p. (WLE Briefing Note Series No. 30)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115189

Solid and liquid waste management and resource recovery in Sri Lanka: a 20 city analysis

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 11:37:41 +0000

TypeReport

Languageen

Authors

Jayathilake, Nilanthi
Kumara, I. U.
Fernando, Sudarshana

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Jayathilake, Nilanthi; Kumara, I. U.; Fernando, Sudarshana. 2020. Solid and liquid waste management and resource recovery in Sri Lanka: a 20 city analysis. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 83p.

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Open Access

Research Themes

Rural-Urban Linkages

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/109661

A review on water governance in Sri Lanka: the lessons learnt for future water policy formulation

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 11:37:09 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Chandrasekara, S. S. K.
Chandrasekara, S. K.
Gamini, P. H. S.
Obeysekera, J.
Manthrithilake, Herath
Kwon, H.-H.
Vithanage, Meththika

Sri Lanka has no water scarcity within the country, and per capita, water availability is adequate to cater for the country’s estimated peak population. Nevertheless, the frequent variability of spatial and temporal water availability and extreme events have built up a water scarcity in Sri Lanka, which has been observed during the last two to three decades. Therefore, effective and efficient water governance is most important in today’s context, and regular review and amendment of policies, laws, and regulations are crucial to mitigate water scarcity. Although a few attempts were initiated, none of them succeeded. In this study, historical and present water governance mechanisms, including coordinating mechanisms and implementing water management agencies in Sri Lanka, were comprehensively reviewed. Further, the previously proposed water policies, their status and reasons for the failures of policies were discussed. Finally, the formulation of a novel institutional arrangement or altering the existing institutional arrangement with shared data and allocating non-shared responsibilities to each institution is suggested for better water governance in Sri Lanka.

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Chandrasekara, S. S. K.; Chandrasekara, S. K.; Gamini, P. H. S.; Obeysekera, J.; Manthrithilake, Herath; Kwon, H.-H.; Vithanage, M. 2021. A review on water governance in Sri Lanka: the lessons learnt for future water policy formulation. Water Policy, 23(2):255-273. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2021.152]

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Open Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113609

Building climate resilience and adaptive capacity in Sri Lanka: the bundled insurance solution

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 11:37:09 +0000

TypeBrief

Languageen

Authors

International Water Management Institute

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International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 2021. Building climate resilience and adaptive capacity in Sri Lanka: the bundled insurance solution. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 8p.

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Open Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113763