The Integrated Rural-Urban Development and Climate Resilience Project (IRDCRP) will rehabilitate 500 identified small-scale irrigation systems including tanks, anicuts, and ponds across selected regions of Sri Lanka in coming 4 years. The initiative aims to strengthen natural resource management while enhancing agricultural productivity within the command areas connected to these irrigation systems.
As an important first step toward achieving this goal, IRDCRP successfully conducted a four-day interactive residential training programme for pioneering field staff representing multiple stakeholder agencies directly involved in small tank rehabilitation and cascade management.
The training programme was held from 27th to 30th April 2026 at the Centre of Excellence for Water and Sanitation (CEWAS), Ratmalana.
A total of 60 technical officers and field personnel actively participated in the programme, creating a vibrant platform for technical learning, collaboration, and experience sharing among stakeholder agencies. The participants included, 28 Technical Officers representing the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD), and 19 Technical Officers from Provincial Irrigation Departments (PID) and 12 Technical Officers from IRDCRP.
Bringing together professionals from different institutions and districts enabled productive discussions on field-level experiences, technical challenges, and practical solutions related to small tank rehabilitation and cascade management. The diverse participation further strengthened inter-agency coordination and fostered a shared understanding toward achieving the project’s climate-resilient rural development objectives.
Expert-led sessions explored topics such as the cascade development, climate change impacts, agricultural requirements for cascade improvements, and advanced concepts related to tank water balance, water sharing, CROPWAT applications, and water allocation. Participants also gained exposure to Vensim applications for water management, climate-resilient small tank structures, sluice, spillway and canal design concepts, as well as strategies for strengthening cascade water organizations and community participation. Sessions on social and environmental safeguards, upper catchment and downstream improvement approaches, weather forecasting, and climate advisory dissemination further enriched the programme.
Interactive technical discussions, brainstorming sessions with the IRDCRP and World Bank technical team, and experience-sharing on field-level challenges created a highly participatory learning environment.
The training programme was enriched by the valuable contributions of a panel of Resource persons including Eng. A. C. Ranathunga, Eng. Janaki Meegastenna, Dr. Lakmal, Eng. Upali Imbulana, Mr. Dhananjaya Siriwardena, Eng. N. A. I. U. K. Nissanka, Mr. M. R. S. Kumara, Ms. Maheeni Samarakoon Singappuli, Dr. Geethika Wijesundara, and Ms. Anusha Warnakulasuriya shared their expertise across a wide range of technical, environmental, social, and climate-resilience related subject areas.
The programme combined technical learning with collaborative activities, discussions, and ice-breaker sessions that encouraged active participation and knowledge sharing among participants from diverse institutions and regions.
The successful completion of this pioneering training programme marks a significant milestone for IRDCRP as it moves forward with the rehabilitation of rural irrigation infrastructure and climate-resilient development interventions.
As an important first step toward achieving this goal, IRDCRP successfully conducted a four-day interactive residential training programme for pioneering field staff representing multiple stakeholder agencies directly involved in small tank rehabilitation and cascade management.
The training programme was held from 27th to 30th April 2026 at the Centre of Excellence for Water and Sanitation (CEWAS), Ratmalana.
A total of 60 technical officers and field personnel actively participated in the programme, creating a vibrant platform for technical learning, collaboration, and experience sharing among stakeholder agencies. The participants included, 28 Technical Officers representing the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD), and 19 Technical Officers from Provincial Irrigation Departments (PID) and 12 Technical Officers from IRDCRP.
Bringing together professionals from different institutions and districts enabled productive discussions on field-level experiences, technical challenges, and practical solutions related to small tank rehabilitation and cascade management. The diverse participation further strengthened inter-agency coordination and fostered a shared understanding toward achieving the project’s climate-resilient rural development objectives.
Expert-led sessions explored topics such as the cascade development, climate change impacts, agricultural requirements for cascade improvements, and advanced concepts related to tank water balance, water sharing, CROPWAT applications, and water allocation. Participants also gained exposure to Vensim applications for water management, climate-resilient small tank structures, sluice, spillway and canal design concepts, as well as strategies for strengthening cascade water organizations and community participation. Sessions on social and environmental safeguards, upper catchment and downstream improvement approaches, weather forecasting, and climate advisory dissemination further enriched the programme.
Interactive technical discussions, brainstorming sessions with the IRDCRP and World Bank technical team, and experience-sharing on field-level challenges created a highly participatory learning environment.
The training programme was enriched by the valuable contributions of a panel of Resource persons including Eng. A. C. Ranathunga, Eng. Janaki Meegastenna, Dr. Lakmal, Eng. Upali Imbulana, Mr. Dhananjaya Siriwardena, Eng. N. A. I. U. K. Nissanka, Mr. M. R. S. Kumara, Ms. Maheeni Samarakoon Singappuli, Dr. Geethika Wijesundara, and Ms. Anusha Warnakulasuriya shared their expertise across a wide range of technical, environmental, social, and climate-resilience related subject areas.
The programme combined technical learning with collaborative activities, discussions, and ice-breaker sessions that encouraged active participation and knowledge sharing among participants from diverse institutions and regions.
The successful completion of this pioneering training programme marks a significant milestone for IRDCRP as it moves forward with the rehabilitation of rural irrigation infrastructure and climate-resilient development interventions.