An Evaluation of the status of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the Kelani river basin of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Increasingly countries world over are experiencing difficulties in accessing safe sources of water for all their consumptive purposes in wake of rapid population growth and environmental degradation. Consequently, there is increased competition for this scarce resource. In this backdrop, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is fast emerging as a legitimate alternate management model to previously sect orally fragmented management practices to better utilize the available resource more prudently and to ensure its long-term sustenance. IWRM is defined as "a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems". This in essence requires a fundamental paradigm shift in the management and governance of water./ The Kelani River Basin of Sri Lanka which hosts its capital city and has the largest basin population is one of the most important basins in the country. The basin experiences many problems related to its water resources of which most are attributed to weaknesses in management that is divided along sect oral lines. /Additionally, the country's policies and laws are outdated and fragmented, making their implementation difficult. Given this situation, a rethink on water management and its governance has become and issue of primary importance.\ The research objective is to evaluate the application of the principles of IWRM in Kelani River Basin to identify where the current management practices departs from the stated principles and its affect on water resources of the basin; and propose improvements for water management./ The research was conducted by means of a desk study and a basin wide field survey. /The desk study consist the review of current literature on IWRM, study reports conducted on the development of the Kelang River Basin and other academic publications on IWRM. The field survey consisted, a survey of General Stakeholders in sixty locations, consultations with ten Institutional Stakeholders, of which seven were state institutors and three independent It was evident that if not managed properly water resources in Kelani will be under severe stress in the near future, particularly during the dry seasons. Considerable pollution of water is seen with rapidly increasing population and the removal of forest cover degrading the watersheds./ In the context of IWRM practice in the Kelani River Basin, the study rates the current implementation status as a "Low" at 1.41 of 5.0; or 28.2%. The key water sector institutions believe that this rate needs to be at 3.71 of 5.0; or 74.2%; for water management in an IWRM context be considered as effective and thus be rated as "Substantial". The study reveals that there is informal, fragmented and unplanned implementation of IWRM in the Kelani basin and that this level of intervention is inadequate to ensure the sustainable use of water, both within or outside an IWRM context. /Therefore, it can be argued that an overarching water policy framework together with the necessary institutions geared towards integration in management and empowerment of the community, underpinned by sound economics and equity criteria; are necessary mainstays for the long run sustainable utilization of water resources in the Kelani River Basin