Enhancing Disaster Resilience: Rainwater Harvesting for Safe Drinking Water in Flood and Drought-Prone Areas Across Six Districts in Sri Lanka

Ensuring disaster resilience for safe drinking water in flood and drought-prone regions across 06 districts is a priority for the Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum. The recent expansion of their initiatives in Anuradhapura district aligns with the main project objectives, which focus on supplying drinking water to primary kidney patients and low-income families through rainwater harvesting. The overarching goal is to enhance the health and economic well-being of these communities by reducing expenses related to water consumption. Additionally, the project aims to mitigate groundwater degradation resulting from excessive exploitation.

Dr. Tanuja Ariyananda, the CEO of the Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum(LRWHF), highlighted that the organization, established in 1997, operates as a non-profit entity dedicated to advocating and implementing rainwater harvesting for domestic use nationwide. Over the past 25 years, the Forum has diligently worked across all districts to install rainwater harvesting systems in households, schools, hospitals, and public spaces. Their focus is on promoting the efficient use of rainwater for domestic activities, home gardening, and local agriculture. The initial large-scale implementation targets districts such as Anuradhapura, Mannar, Mulathive, Badulla, Monaragala, and Kilinochchi. The LRWHF collaborates with the Sri Lanka government, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, and various national and international agencies, successfully executing nearly 49,000 rainwater harvesting approaches nationwide.

The project, funded under the auspices of USAID, has received a total of LKR 346,000,000, with an overall project budget of approximately US$ 2,000,000, as emphasized by Dr. Thanuja Ariyananda, the head of LRWHF.

Janaka Jayasundara, the district secretary of Anuradhapura, approved the LRWHF’s rainwater harvesting program, outlining a three-year implementation period from 2022 to 2025. Beneficiaries in the district are selected based on LRWHF’s census, prioritizing families suffering from a lack of potable drinking water, especially those with kidney diseases. The project, initiated in Anuradhapura since the previous year, has already seen the construction of 16,000-liter capacity rainwater harvesting systems in 10 schools and 12 households in the Nochchiyagama DS division. The district’s target by 2025 includes 24 systems in schools, 120 in households, and 50 well recharge systems.

Chanaka Ishan Sumanarathne, the district coordinating officer of LRWHP in Anuradhapura, provided additional insights into the project. He mentioned the construction of 8,000-liter and 16,000-liter roof rainwater harvesting systems in selected households, accompanied by comprehensive training on system operation and maintenance for all beneficiaries. Users are specifically advised to boil harvested water for drinking. Notably, LRWHF’s efforts have benefited approximately 47,000 people across 1,162 households, 124 schools, and 10 medical clinics in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Badulla, Monaragala, and Anuradhapura districts since 2016. Furthermore, it’s highlighted that a domestic rainwater harvesting tank in dry zones with less than 900 mm annual rainfall can meet daily water demand for cooking and drinking during the driest days, utilizing a small roof (50 m²) catchment.

Source : Daily News