|
• |
Project
Name: |
Developing
community-led strategies and infrastructure
to ensure adaptation to drought. |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Project
Background: |
Padikepuhela,
Pilimahelaand Thammennawa villages in the
Seenukkuwa DS Division are villages
established under the Kirindi Oya Project,
an irrigation and settlement project
implemented in the early 1980s. Although the
people were settled under the project, they
lack resources and opportunities. Since
then, the people in this area are engaged in
agricultural activities during the
north-east monsoon season only as there is
no water in the rest of the year. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
The changes in
climate have made this situation worse, as
the untimely rains and occasional droughts
impacted the established natural systems,
and weather patterns have changed. |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Project
formation: |
GMSL
identified water for agriculture as a
critical requirement for the people in these
three villages and decided to renovate an
abandoned tank in Padikepuhela and supply
water to two more villages (Pilimahela and
Thammennawa) through a community-led
management mechanism. The tank proposed
contained a bund of 4.5m in height, 400m in
length and contained 30mlong spill. This was
aimed to benefit forty five families. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
The GMSL
applied a community-centred approach in this
project and the community knowledge was
taken in to account in the planning process.
It was planned as a multi-focus approach for
livelihood development. |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Objective: |
Ensuring
access to water for forty five families
throughout the year |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Project
Area: |
Padikepuhela,
Pilimahela and Thammennawa villages in the
Seenukkuwa GN Division in Monaragala
District in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Duration: |
January 2011 –
December 2013 (Completed) |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Donor/
Funder: |
UNDP GEF/SGP –
Community Based Adaptation |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Donor page
links: |
UNDP GEF/ SGP
Website -
Project 1
&
Project 2 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Project
Activities and Achievements |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Activity |
Achievements |
|
Formulate technical survey
report |
This was completed with the
expert support of Irrigation
Department of Uva Province.
Necessary drawings and estimates
about tank-bund, sluice gate and
spill were made. |
|
Create community-based plan to
build the tank and related
infrastructures. |
The plan was developed through
five community meetings.
Villagers volunteered to the
project according to a
community-developed routine - a
family volunteered once for
eleven days and for a day four
families volunteered. Necessary
maps were drawn at the meetings
using community knowledge. |
|
Renovation of the tank |
1. Clean the vicinity of the
tank - The area covered with
clusters of shrubs was cleared.
2. Construct the bund – A
bund with a length of 420m and
2.15m wide was constructed. The
average height of the bund was
3.8 metres with the highest
point 5.1 metres high from the
ground level. Over 4,000 cubes
of earth were used for the bund.
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
3. Establish
sluice gate –
The sluice gate with
one feet wide door
was in place and the
front side was made
with concrete. |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
4. Spill System
– 3-metre wide and
27-metre long spill
has been completed. |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
5. Other
activities –
Other activities
completed include
the completion of
the rip-rap to
upstream side of the
bund - 175 squares,
application of a
layer of turf
through the inner
and upper range of
the bund, turfing of
bund on both the
inner and outer
surfaces of the bund
and a set of stairs
to reach in to the
tank were completed. |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
Establishing adaptive
agriculture practices |
Training on water and soil
conservation practices was
provided.
New perennial fruit plants to
agriculture plot (Mango, Papaya,
Banana, etc.) were introduced. |
|
Introducing alternative
livelihoods |
Following were conducted
- Three sewing machines
distributed
- Three milk containers
distributed
- Vocational training provided
for school leavers |
|
Establishing optional marketing
system |
To
sell agriculture product and
strengthen women (Widows) of the
village. |
|
Create a water management
committee to manage the water
provision process
|
The committee was formed and
reliable and skilful people were
selected to the committee. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Project
Impacts and Reporting |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Project
impacts: |
The tank is
complete and expected to cater to the water
demand for both day-to-day activities and
agriculture in the drought periods.
Securing
agricultural livelihoods for villagers
within the village.
The tank
has increased the water table.
Prevents
forest animals from entering the village in
their search for water.
The
availability of water has reduced the
migration of males to adjacent districts in
search of labour, and reducing the burden of
women.
Drought
adaptive agricultural practices were
promoted among villagers subsequent to the
tank renovation. |
| |
|
|
|
• |
Project
Reports/ Publications/ News: |
Currently not
available |
| |
|
|
