The
Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), which implements its
activities through a cascade management approach, has established 54 Cascade
Management Committees (CMCs) across its project areas, with another six to be
formed soon. These committees develop Cascade Management Plans (CMPs) to guide
the protection and development of cascades, including detailed cascade profiles
and development plans. Recognizing the importance of land suitability, the Department
of Land Use Policy Planning (LUPPD) agreed to prepare Zonal Land Use Plans for
60 cascades under the project. As a first step, a two-day workshop was recently
held at the Four Points Resort, Anuradhapura, with 65 officers from both CSIAP
and LUPPD participating to discuss and finalize guidelines for preparing these
plans.
The
workshop included detailed sessions on the historical significance of Sri
Lanka’s tank cascade systems, the roles of CMCs, and the process of preparing
CMPs. Participants engaged in group work to finalize the Zonal Land Use Plan
guidelines. The second day featured a field visit to the Meehondawewa cascade,
where participants, guided by an expert, identified various components and
degradation issues caused by human and natural activities. The workshop was
considered highly successful and is expected to equip participants with the
knowledge and tools needed to implement cascade management effectively across
the project districts.
By Upali Rathnayake, Institutional & Capacity Building Specialist, NCP, CSIAP
