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Article

Traditional Water Governance Practices for Flood Mitigation in Ancient Sri Lanka

1
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
2
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Climate 2022, 10(5), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050069
Submission received: 8 April 2022 / Revised: 7 May 2022 / Accepted: 11 May 2022 / Published: 13 May 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Climatic Data in Hydrologic Models)

Abstract

The tank cascade system, which emerged as early as the fifth century BC in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, has been portrayed as one of the oldest water management practices in the world. However, its important function as flood management has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this paper, we argue that the main principle behind the tank cascade system is not only to recycle and reuse water resources by taking advantage of natural landscapes but also to control floods. This paper examines the evolution of traditional water management and flood mitigation techniques that flourished in pre-colonial Sri Lanka. This historical examination also sheds light on recent policies that exhibited renewed interests in revitalizing some aspects of the tank cascade system in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. This paper shows how ancient Sinhalese engineers and leaders incorporated traditional scientific and engineering knowledge into flood mitigation by engendering a series of innovations for land use planning, embankment designs, and water storage technologies. It also discusses how this system was governed by both kingdoms and local communities. Water management and flood control were among the highest priorities in urban planning and management. The paper thus discusses how, for centuries, local communities successfully sustained the tank cascade system through localized governance, which recent revitalized traditional water management projects often lack.
Keywords: tank cascade system; dry zone; water governance; flood control; traditional knowledge; community participation; Sri Lanka tank cascade system; dry zone; water governance; flood control; traditional knowledge; community participation; Sri Lanka

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Hewawasam, V.; Matsui, K. Traditional Water Governance Practices for Flood Mitigation in Ancient Sri Lanka. Climate 2022, 10, 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050069

AMA Style

Hewawasam V, Matsui K. Traditional Water Governance Practices for Flood Mitigation in Ancient Sri Lanka. Climate. 2022; 10(5):69. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050069

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hewawasam, Vindya, and Kenichi Matsui. 2022. "Traditional Water Governance Practices for Flood Mitigation in Ancient Sri Lanka" Climate 10, no. 5: 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050069

APA Style

Hewawasam, V., & Matsui, K. (2022). Traditional Water Governance Practices for Flood Mitigation in Ancient Sri Lanka. Climate, 10(5), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050069

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