•  Focus on Trinco and Vavuniya    

The Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and financial support from the Japanese Government, has announced a new US $ 1.33 million project to enhance water productivity and climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s minor tank-based ecosystems.

The 12-month initiative (March 2026 – February of next year [2027]) will revitalise traditional minor tank cascade systems in the Trincomalee and Vavuniya Districts, directly benefiting approximately 400 smallholder farmers and strengthening local farmer organisations responsible for water management.

Sri Lanka’s minor tank systems, comprising over 10,000 interconnected village reservoirs, are the backbone of paddy cultivation in the dry and intermediate zones. However, decades of underinvestment, sedimentation near sluice gates, aquatic weed infestation, and deteriorating canals have significantly reduced their storage capacity and irrigation efficiency.

Commenting on this new initiative, subject Minister K.D. Lalkantha said, "Our traditional tank cascade systems are a testament to Sri Lanka’s ancient engineering wisdom and remain central to rural livelihoods today. This timely collaboration with Japan and the FAO will help restore these systems, improve water productivity, and strengthen the resilience of our farming communities in Trincomalee and Vavuniya."

This new project will rehabilitate selected minor tanks and anicuts within cascade systems, restore hydraulic functionality, and introduce climate-smart water management practices to improve water productivity and resilience.

The project will implement an integrated package of interventions, including: Cleaning tanks and removing invasive aquatic weeds to restore the storage capacity and improve water quality; Targeted desilting near sluice gates to ensure gravity-based irrigation flow; the Rehabilitation of damaged canals, embankments, spillways and sluice structures; the Introduction of sensor-based water monitoring systems and real-time climate data tools; the Promotion of climate-smart good agricultural practices, including alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation methods; and Capacity building through farmer field schools and strengthened local water governance mechanisms.

Evidence from a recently concluded Japan-funded FAO initiative demonstrated that AWD and sensor-based irrigation can reduce water use by over 35 per cent in certain seasons while improving yields. The new project will scale up these proven innovations within traditional tank cascade systems, combining modern technology with Sri Lanka’s indigenous water management knowledge.

Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio Isomata remarked, "Japan is proud to support Sri Lanka in enhancing climate-resilient agriculture and water management. This project will scale up innovative technologies such as sensor-based irrigation and promote efficient water use in minor tank systems. Japan’s assistance for the project aligns with the concept of human security which the Japanese Government adopts as an important pillar of its diplomacy with the aim of protecting and empowering individuals, especially vulnerable people, to live in dignity and free from want. This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to sustainability and long-term prosperity for rural communities."

By improving irrigation efficiency, the initiative aims to increase cropping intensity, stabilise paddy yields, enhance soil health, and reduce pressure on scarce freshwater resources. Approximately 2,000 additional household members are expected to benefit indirectly through improved food security and income stability.

Welcoming the Japanese Government’s financial support to revitalise minor tanks in Vavuniya and Trincomlaee, the FAO Representative for Sri Lanka, Vimlendra Sharan said, "Minor tank-based ecosystems are critical lifelines for smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. By combining the rehabilitation of traditional infrastructure with climate-smart technologies and farmer capacity building, this project will enable communities to produce more with less water while strengthening resilience to floods and droughts."

By restoring hydrological functionality, reducing water losses, and empowering farmers with data-driven irrigation tools, the initiative aims to create a scalable model for climate-resilient minor tank management across Sri Lanka.