The papers in this volume were presented at the first National Workshop on the Status and Future Directions of Research pertaining to the water sector in Sri Lanka, held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka during 4-6 November, 1998. The aim ofthe conference was for policy makers and senior water managers in Sri Lanka to share and discuss the findings, implications and uses of current research dealing with any aspect of water, and to prioritize future research needs, develop a national water research strategy and initiate a network of water researchers in Sri Lanka and abroad to carry out relevant research in the future. In selecting papers for the conference, priority was given to those authored by persons who had limited opportunities to disseminate their research findings or share empirical experiences. Although the main language of the conference was English, authors were specifically encouraged to present papers in either Sinhala or Tamil.

This book provides diverse information and critical know-how to implement appropriate methodology and cost-efficient monitoring and evaluation systems better suited to assess the impacts of soil conservation and wastershed multi-sectoral development activities. It draws on a worldwide experience of specialists and a large array of ground-truthing projects and programmes. This book will meet its objective if it contributes to convince financing institutions and project managers that integrated watershed management activities have the potential to generate highly desirable impacts for the society at large, which have to be accurately measured by adequate M&E systems.

Increasing the area under irrigation and the widespread adoption of seed-fertilizer technology were the major factors that contributed to enhanced rice production in Sri Lanka, enabling the country to achieve self-sufficiency in rice. In recent years, there has been a shift in emphasis from expanding the irrigated land base to enhancing the productivity of irrigated land through diversification of agriculture and improvement of rice production, with better water management in irrigation schemes. This report attempts to assess how the irrigation sector in Sri Lanka is adapting itself to these new challenges. It analyzes the future direction of irrigation in Sri Lanka in light of recent trends in public and private investment in this sphere, and the revolution in groundwater development brought about by the poor performance and gradual deterioration of existing irrigation schemes.

Sri Lanka is a country with vast spatial and seasonal variations of water supply and demand. Statistics in the form of aggregated information at national level sometimes mask issues of local water scarcity. But when the same indicators are used at subunit level, a substantial area of the country comes under severe water-scarce conditions. Knowledge of subunit level water scarcities is very important because most of the food requirement of the country at present comes from water-scarce regions and projected additional requirements are also to be met by the same regions.