R.W.S.M.Nimal Manorathne
Central Environmental Authority
Sri Lanka
1Outline
An Introduction to climate change water¥governance in Sri Lanka
Climate change effects on water governance –especiallyon water quality and quantity
ii. Mitigation on climate change water effectsiii. Policy changes adopted or planned to adopt within last
10 yearsiv. Conclusioni.

2

DISTRIBUTION OF RIVERS AND TANKS (INCLUDING THOSE ABANDONED)

Ground Water
Resources
The total groundwater
availability in the islandfrom infiltration, percolationand sub-surface circulation
is estimated to be around
7,250 – 7,800 million m3
per annum, which is about
15% of the country’s
surface water resources3

Introduction to climate changewater ¥governance in Sri Lanka
 Main Acts for water

Main Institutions forissues
water sector
 Irrigation ordinance –No 32 of 1946:
governanceact no1 of 1951 and sub sequent
Amendments
 National Water Supply andDrainage Board Act no 12 of 1974
and amendments
 Water Resources Board Act n0 29 of1964
 Flood Protection Ordinance No 4of 1924
 Mahaweli Authority Act no 25 of1951 and amended in 1996

 Irrigation Department
 National Water Supply andDrainage Board Water Resources Board Department of Agrarian Services
 Mahweli Authority of Sri Lanka
 Agriculture Department
 Ceylon Electricity Board

4

Spatial variation of available water in SriLanka

 Total volume of surface water availability =44,000 MCM
 Wet Zone 15 rivers =22,000 MCM
 Mahweli River ( Longest and largest river )=11,000 MCM
 Dry Zone 84 rivers =6,000 MCM

 Dry Zone (largest rivers –Walve,Gal ,Daduru)5,000 MCM

 Irrigation usage= 12,000 MCM ( 28%)
 Domestic and Industrial usage =3,000 MCM (7%)
 Discharge Volume to the sea =29,000 MCM (65%)

 MCM=Million Cubic Meters
5Rainfall pattern in Sri Lanka
 The South West Monsoon –from May to September North West Monsoon –fromDecember to February
The First Intermonsoon period
March to April
The second Intermonsoon
periodOctober to November

6

Variation of 30 Years Average Rainfall in Colombo

7

Year to year variation of Northeast Monsoon has
increased significantly8Temperature Changesyear

Annual Average of Monthly Average temperature inCentigrade
90
8070605040
30201001995
1961‐1990
1931‐1960

AnuradhapuraBadulla28.4
27.7
27.3

24.2
23.6
23.3

Batticaloa Colombo
28.3
27.8
27.4

27.9
27.4
27

NuwaraEliyaKandy

16.2
15.8
15.4

24.8
24.6
24.4
9

Climate change effects on water governance –especially on water quality and quantity

 Issues : River Floods, Coastal Floods, Urban floods, FlashFloods

 Main Causes : high intensity of rain, inadequate or nodrainage system ,silting of canals, encroachments ,poormaintenances, urbanization,

 Solutions : Urban Development Authority was given
more powers by acquisition to the Ministry of Defence Removal of shanties and giving new houses to dwellers
 Rehabilitation of canals ,reservoirs
 Protecting and conserving wetlands
 Monitoring of water quality on major reservoirs and canals10Socio economic issues due to changes in rainfall
regimes Reduction of the area of the wet zone due to shifting ofdemarcation between wet and dry zones
 Increase of one day heavy rainfall specially in western
slopes of the of the Central Mountains‐land slides, soils
erosion, quick floods
 In dry zone droughts and unpredictable rainfall reducethe water availability for irrigation and public use
 Lowering river flows during droughts in the coastal areas
Areas increase the sea level intrusion
 In dry zone quality of the surface water and ground water
seriously deteriorates due to low flow rate Increase of water borne deceases like Malaria ,chronic
kidney decides,
11Policy changes adopted or planned to adopt inlast 10 years
 National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Sri

Lanka‐2011 to 2016‐prepired by ADB and Ministry ofEnvironment with 500 experts on the field –Identified
sector vulnerabity profiles – water sector is one of them
 Mapping of Climate Change Vulnerability –Vulnerability
index Vulnerability=f(exposure, sensitivity, adoptive capacity) National Environment Act –amendments are proposed Waste water discharge fee system
 Industrial sitting will be legally binding document
 Sensitive area declaration by regulations
 Reviving of present the standards and formulating of new standards forambient waters
12

New plans after 2004 on conserving water
 SAARC action plan on Climate Change –Largely deals

with water sector
 The Mahind Chinthana ‐ Vision for future –Thisdocument pledges to eliminate pollution of water andensuring the public ownership of water National Action plan for the Haritha Lanka Programme
Short term and long term( 2009 to 2016) plans to adaptation to climatechange .”Water for all and always” is one mission thematic area

 The Natural Disaster Management Plan of 1999‐addresses
preparedness, mitigation and preventive action : recovery, relief,rehabilitation and reconstruction with improved meteorologicalobservations, forecast and warning systems
13

Challenges
 Overall challenges in water quality Management/governanceNo umbrella body to regulate water issues and various institutions consider
their interest only

 Issues/challenges related to ambient water quality standards(water environmental standards)
Ambient water quality standards are in drafting stage

 Issues/challenges related to effluents fromindustries/business entities and its control
Environmental Pollution Control has been improved by capacity building andde centralization –setting up of district offices to monitor compliances Issues/challenges related to domestic wastewater and its

management
Coastal belt cities and shanties needed to be connected with sewer networks
14Challenges
 Issues/challenges related to enclosed water bodies, such as

enclosed seas, lakes and reservoirs
Siltation and under capacity for one day heavy rains

 Issues/challenges related to groundwaterNo proper standards for ground water and high drawing rate in the dry zone
for agriculture purposes

 Issues/challenges related to water quality monitoring
Lack of systematic collection system for data and periodical analysis
issues such as quality and availability with respect to access, temporal andspatial resolutions have not being widely addressed by research institutions

 Any other specific issues/challenges to be addressed
Requirement of Long duration data collection ,monitoring ,evaluation andverification system15

No of people affected in each disaster

16

Magnitude of the fooled level in Polonnaruwa ,eastern
Sri Lanka ,January 13th 2011

This poor
elephant calf
had been lifted
up to the tree topheight by thesudden floods
this year ,17

18

19

20