The Year-End National Project Steering Committee of the CSIAP held at MoA

The year-end National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held this morning (24th) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The NPSC, which is set up at the ministry to provide governance, and strategic oversight, take the overall responsibility for executing the CSIAP and support throughout the project's lifecycle, is chaired by the ministry’s secretary Mr. M. P. N. M. Wickramasinghe.

The committee's existence ensures that the CSIAP aligns with the organization's goals, delivers value, and adheres to budgetary and timeline constraints. Their involvement is crucial to the project's success, where alignment with project goals is essential. The NPSC essentially bridges the gap between senior management and the project team, providing strategic support and ensuring the project delivers the intended value. The NPSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government and provincial government to provide policy guidance to the project and to ensure CSIAP’s objectives are achieved.

The CSIAP's Project Director Mr. Sumith Chandana attended this meeting with Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M.P. Bandara and subject specialists. Chief Secretaries of provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, Senior Officials of implementing agencies and some Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP joined the meeting remotely along with World Bank Officials.  Ms. Latheesha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development) and Ms. Anuradha Dharmasena, Director (Development) of the ministry were also present at this meeting.

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

How Does the CSIAP Align with National Policy?

Strengthening Livelihoods, Driving Technology Adoption, Promoting Sustainability, and Empowering Women: Insights from the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Sri Lanka

The World Bank–financed Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is being implemented by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation (2019–2025). The Project Development Objective of CSIAP is to enhance the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder farming communities in selected climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka. This strategy strengthens climate resilience, restores ecosystems, and promotes climate-smart agriculture in vulnerable hotspot areas across 11 districts in six provinces of the country.

The CSIAP Integration Framework establishes a strategic alignment between project components and government policy objectives through interconnected pillars. At its core, the framework emphasizes People- and Environment-Centric Economic Development with the village tank cascade–based approach, focusing on improving livelihoods, reducing rural poverty, enhancing income opportunities, promoting gender equality, and fostering socio-economic empowerment within communities. This includes actively promoting gender-responsive development approaches by ensuring equitable access to resources, skills, and opportunities for women farmers and vulnerable groups, thereby strengthening women’s economic participation in rural economies. The approach also contributes to national poverty reduction goals by improving access to livelihoods, markets, and social services.

This pillar is complemented by the Technology-Based Society, which leverages innovation, digitalization, and technological advancements to drive modernization and enhance efficiency across all sectors—including improving women’s access to digital advisory services, climate-smart technologies, online agriculture platforms, and market information systems. CSIAP’s role in promoting digitalization aligns with national efforts to create a more connected, technology-enabled rural economy.

Underpinning these development initiatives is the critical pillar of Sustainable Environmental Management, which ensures environmental sustainability and climate resilience are integrated into every aspect of project implementation. CSIAP’s environmental focus incorporates gender-sensitive considerations, recognizing that women often face disproportionate burdens from climate shocks and therefore benefit significantly from climate-smart agriculture, water-saving technologies, and sustainable natural resource management through the village tank cascade–based approach. This approach also aligns with national objectives under the “Clean Sri Lanka” vision by promoting environmentally responsible land, water, and ecosystem management.

Together, these three pillars create a comprehensive and balanced framework addressing economic growth, technological advancement, environmental stewardship, poverty reduction, and gender equality simultaneously—ensuring that CSIAP initiatives contribute meaningfully to both immediate community needs and long-term sustainable development goals in alignment with broader government policy priorities.

Component-wise Policy Integration for Agriculture Production and Marketing
The Component-wise Policy Integration for Agriculture Production and Marketing demonstrate a comprehensive alignment across the strategic pillars and the development of physical resources. Under People- and Environment-Centric Economic Development with the village tank cascade–based approach, the component aims to increase farmer incomes through improved productivity and market access, create employment opportunities along the agricultural value chain, enhance food security and nutrition, empower smallholder farmers with skills and resources, and develop agri-entrepreneurship and rural enterprises. These interventions contribute directly to rural poverty reduction, while placing special emphasis on women’s economic empowerment by supporting women-led enterprises, increasing women’s participation in value chain development, and strengthening women’s leadership roles in various community and governance structures.

The Technology-Based Society pillar introduces precision agriculture and smart farming techniques, implements digital market platforms for better price discovery, expands mobile-based extension services, adopts modern post-harvest technologies, and integrates weather forecasting and crop monitoring systems. By empowering rural communities with digital solutions, the component supports national digitalization efforts and ensures women also gain equitable access to digital tools, online learning, and market opportunities.

The Sustainable Environmental Management dimension promotes climate-smart agriculture, encourages organic and sustainable farming methods, strengthens soil fertility and conservation measures, reduces chemical dependency through integrated pest management, and supports resilient crop varieties. These strategies support the Clean Sri Lanka national vision by reducing environmental pollution, safeguarding ecosystems, and encouraging sustainable production systems. Gender equality is integrated throughout by reducing women’s workload and supporting safer, more sustainable farming practices.

 Additionally, the Development of Physical Resources component strengthens agricultural infrastructure, including storage and processing facilities, rural market facilities, cold chain systems, and improved rural road networks. These developments reduce market barriers, expand income opportunities, and support rural poverty reduction. They also facilitate women’s participation by improving mobility, expanding market access, and strengthening women-led cooperatives and enterprises—creating a gender-inclusive, digitally connected, and environmentally sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

 Water for Agriculture
The Water for Agriculture component showcases a multifaceted approach that addresses critical water resource challenges across all strategic dimensions. 
Under People- and Environment-Centric Economic Development with the village tank cascade–based approach, the component ensures reliable water access for enhanced crop yields and income, reduces vulnerability to drought and climate variability, creates employment opportunities in irrigation maintenance, and supports year-round cultivation and livelihood diversification. Incorporating gender-responsive water governance mechanisms ensure women’s participation in Farmer Organizations and Cascade Management Committees, reduces time burdens related to water collection, and expands opportunities for women in irrigated agriculture—all contributing to poverty reduction through improved economic resilience 

The Technology-Based Society pillar introduces efficient irrigation technologies such as drip and sprinkler systems, solar-powered irrigation solutions, and digital tools for water resource planning using GIS and remote sensing. The integration of user-friendly monitoring technologies supports national digitalization goals and particularly benefits women by simplifying daily tasks, improving productivity, and increasing engagement in decision-making processes.

The Sustainable Environmental Management dimension promotes water conservation, watershed protection, soil salinity prevention, integrated water resources management, and rainwater harvesting—strengthening climate resilience and environmental health. These measures actively support the Clean Sri Lanka initiative by promoting eco-friendly practices that preserve water quality, reduce pollution, and enhance landscape sustainability.

The Development of Physical Resources component rehabilitates irrigation systems, constructs water harvesting structures, develops canal and distribution networks, and expands groundwater recharge systems and micro-irrigation facilities. These improvements support vulnerable communities, enhance agricultural productivity, reduce women's physical burdens related to water management, and contribute to broader national goals related to poverty reduction, digitalization of resource management systems, and transitioning towards a Cleaner, Greener Sri Lanka with equal opportunity for all—leveraging the village tank cascade–based approach to maximize community benefits.

By Sharmila Shanmuganthan, Social Safeguard and Gender Development Officer, PMU, CSIAP

A 03-day workshop on achieving the CSIAP’s objectives commenced at the NIPM

Mr. Attanayake flanked by  Mr. Bandara, explains the objectives of the workshop

A three-day workshop on reviewing the current status of the CSIAP,  expediting the current implementation in the field and preparing an action plan up to end December 2025 commenced today (14^th) at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya with the participation of Deputy Project Directors, relevant Subject Specialists, Engineers and Officers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ Offices of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project. 

The ultimate goal of this workshop is to speed up activities to reach the project’s development objective by the end of the project period.

Project Director Mr. Chandana addressing the audience

Commencing the workshop, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M.P. Bandara stated the importance of this workshop to achieve project objectives for the betterment of the country. Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists Mr. Nalaka Attanayake explained the goal of the workshop. While doing the group work in the afternoon today, Project Director Mr. Sumith Chandana pointed out the need to work collectively as a team and achieve the workshop's objectives.

Group activities were conducted under every subject covering each component of the project to prepare a plan to move forward. The Monitoring & Evaluation Unit of the CSIAP organized the workshop under the guidance of the Project Director Mr. Sumith Chandana and Deputy Project Director DPD (PMU) Mr. H.M.P. Bandara.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP 

The FTS trained 1966 farmer leaders on CSA to train around 19600 farmers

The Climate Smart Agriculture Project (CSIAP) built a Climate Smart Agriculture Training School for the first time in South Asia in an area of ​​03 acres in Thirpappane, Anuradhapura district at a cost of Rs. 117 Mn with the support of the World Bank to promote Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Sri Lanka. A total of 1966 farmer leaders including 788 women farmer leaders have been trained in 86 training programs to disseminate the knowledge, that they have acquired about CSA, to more than 19600 farmers in the six provinces namely Northwest, North Central, Northern, Eastern, Uva and Southern Provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented..

The CSIAP Project, implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, aims to guide the farming community living in the project area to use CSA technologies and train them to cope with and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change by building this training school. Training sessions are also conducted for technical personnel during the project period.

The construction of the Farmer Training School started on 22nd December 2021 and was opened on 4th December 2022. The coordinator of this school, Mr. Sajith Ekanayake, says that the school is used to train farmers to give hands-on experience in CSA practices and technologies and address challenges to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security.

 The CSIAP has planned to establish a platform for the dissemination of CSA  knowledge in the village and provide beneficiaries living in the areas where they are experiencing climate change with CSA technology by covering all 47 agricultural service center divisions. Eventually, the CSIAP envisages dissemination of CSA technologies and practices among entire farming communities that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the country through the intervention of officials from the Department of Agriculture.

A success story of a youth farmer who cultivates red onions in the Northern Province

 

The CSIAP completes the rehabilitation of 470 tanks at a cost of Rs. 13000 M

The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project (CSIAP), which implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and funded by the World Bank, completed rehabilitation works of 470 tanks in selected hotspots areas with the aim of improve the productivity and build climate resilience of small holder agriculture sector in selected hotspot areas.

The CSIAP, which is being implemented in 11 districts covering 06 provinces namely North-West, North-Central, Northen, East, Uva and Southern, rehabilitated  116 tanks in Kurunegala district, 28 tanks in Puttalam district, 56 tanks in Anuradhapura district, 10 tanks in Polonnaruwa district, 34 tanks in Kilinochchiya district, 47 ​​tanks in Mullaitivu district, 29 tanks in Trincomalee district, 21 tanks in Batticaloa district, 19 tanks in Ampara district, 36 tanks in Monaragala district and 74 tanks in Hambantota district completely. Therefore, 30,000 farming families will be able to cultivate 38,000 acres of land to boost the agro-economy of the country.

In addition to this, by December 2025, the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project has prepared plans to rehabilitate another 205 tanks with an estimated cost of  Rs. 4200 million. This will benefit 12,000 farming families and enable them to cultivate 15,000 acres of land in hotspot areas. 

Current Vacancies for the Project Staff (PMU and Provincial Offices) of the CSIAP

For more information, please visit:  https://csiap.lk/vacancies

A warm farewell to Project Director, Senior Engineer and ESS Specialist of CSIAP

Eng. R. M.B. Rajakaruna, Senior Engineer Gamini Wijayawardhana and Dr.  Janaka Jayawardena receive gifts from newly appointed Project Director Mr. K. A. Sumith Chandana

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) gave a fond farewell to former Project Director Eng. R. M.B. Rajakaruna, Senior Engineer Gamini Wijayawardhana and Social Safeguard Specialist Dr.  Janaka Jayawardena who had been pivotal members of the CSIAP for last few years. Eng. R. M.B. Rajakaruna (joined on 08th Aug 2021) has shown great leadership and made a tremendous contribution to the CSIAP during his period. Senior Engineer Gamini Wijayawardhana (joined on 02nd Mar 2023) had been an enthusiastic figure throughout his time at the CSIAP. Dr.  Janaka Jayawardena (joined on 20th Jan 2020) had also been actively involved in various subjective activities including erecting sessional electric fences and planting trees in the project area.

We are incredibly grateful for everything they have contributed over the years thank them for their boundless energy, hard work and dedication to the CSIAP. They are leaving the CSIAP when the  CSIAP is at a good level, with plans in place to grow the project steadily even in future. Everyone at the CSIAP wishes them well in their future endeavours.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP