HSBC and IUCN to restore more tanks in Sri Lanka

HSBC, once again in partnership with IUCN, intends on restoring a cascade tank system in Kapirigama, Anuradhapura

By Rashika Fazali

Under HSBC’s Global Water Programme, a US$ 100 million project, HSBC in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will help restore a traditional cascade tank system in Kapirigama in the Anuradhapura district. This will be done in accordance to socio-economic, ecological and spiritual beliefs.

Speaking on the reason behind the project at the signing of the project held at the Hilton Residencies, IUCN Sri Lanka Acting Country Representative Shamen Vidanage stated: “This project will give people access to water, enhanced agriculture, rural live hoods and environmental services in Sri Lanka.”

The restoration project will be carried out over a span of three years with the help of the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD), the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Irrigation, the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and key local governing bodies and farmer cooperative societies.

Elaborating on the cascade tank system, Vidanage noted that it is a unique and a traditional mechanism which started back in the 4th century B.C. It was used for over a period of 2,500 years to capture rainwater so that such water can be used during the dry season, avoid floods and help society for everyday living.  

Also speaking at the media briefing, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives CEO Nick Nicolaou, said, “Water has become a scarce resource which needs efficient management in order to provide communities with proper irrigation facilities for daily survival – be it in rural or urban expanses.

“We are happy to partner with IUCN and invest in a project that will vastly benefit over 60,000 people with access to safe water for everyday living and livelihood development. It is also a great opportunity for us to be involved in the physical rehabilitation of a tank cascade system that will assist in economic upliftment.”  

He further added, “It will also improve the North Central province and increase the GDP.”

Vidanage asserted that families living in the Kapirigama area will have access to steady supply of water throughout the year which will boost Sri Lankan cultivation. It will also provide access to freshwater for domestic purposes, groundwater management and conservation, sustainable management of natural habitats and the biodiversity they support, and the development of livelihoods.  

He also revealed that many such systems were abandoned or not restored due to political, historical or institutional reasons.

With this project under their belt, HSBC and IUCN will work on restoring 10 tanks out of the 17 existing tanks. However, Vidanage stated that if the feasibility study shows in the future that all 17 tanks can be restored, they would go ahead and restore them all.

HSBC and IUCN have previously worked together to restore the Warawewa Village tank in Chilaw. The HSBC’s Global Water Programme is a five year plan that highlights the importance of water as an essential resource in the daily lives of communities.