AJARATA INNOVATIVE FOR

DROUGHT MANAGEMENT
H.M.M.B. SENEVIRATNE
 INNOVATION

• MAKE - CREATE - INNOVATE – CREATE –

MAKE
• ENGINEER THE IMPOSSIBLE
 CONTEXT

• CLIMATE HAS CHANGED

• ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
HAS CHANGED
• HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
HAS CHANGED
• LOW RISK TO HIGH RISK
• ORDER TO CHAOS
 GLOOBAL AND REGIONAL
CONTEXT
• DEVELOPED NATIONS HAVE ADJUSTED TO
CHANGE
• DEVELOPING AND FAILED NATIONAS HAVE
NOT ADJUSTED TO CHANGE
• UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL NATIONS MAKE AN
ATTEMPT THROUGH NATIONAL STRATEGIC
PLANNING TO ADJUST TO CHANGE THEY
WILL BE LEFT BEHIND
 WATER AVAILABILITY
PROJECTED PATHS (Seneviratne, 2007)

9
8
7
6 anur
5 trinco
4 mullat

3 padavi

2
1
0
1963-1972 1973-1982 1983-1992 1993-2002 2002-2012 2012-2022

THE THICK ORANGE LINE IS THE CUMULATIVE DOWNWARD

TREND OF RAINFALL FOR ALL STATIONS
LIGHT COLOUR WATER ORIGINATES FROM FOREST
RESERVE AND THE MUDDY PINK COLOUR WATER
ORIGINATE FROM A SETTLEMENT
 Change
• 1743 respondents in 17 districts
• Rain Nature has changed – 84.6 percent
• Rain Pattern has changed – 76.3 percent
• Rain Quantity has changed – rainfall data – 20 to 40
percent)
• Less single or double-cell thunderstorms and more
line squalls – data – 80 percent
• Present weva or other water management systems
are not designed for the change
 INNOVATION: DEVELOPMENT:
DROUGHT
• DROUGHT IS NATURAL, BUT IT AFFECTS
HUMANS WHEN THEY ARE NOT INNOVATIVE,
NOT UTILISE RESOURCES PROPERLY AND NOT
ON THE CORRECT PATH TO DEVELOPMENT
• SRI LANKA HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO BE
DEVELOPED, AND MANAGE DROUGHT BUT
LACK OF STRATEGIC NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PLAN HAS RESULTED IN PRESENT FAILURE
 RESOURCE BASE OF SRI LANKA

• WATER – SUN – PRECIOUS STONES –

MEDICINAL HERBS – TEA – RUBBER –
COCONUT – PULSES – RICE – FRUITS

• PEOPLE, CRAFT KNOWLEDGE, WORK HARD

UNDER POSITIVE GUIDANCE AND SRATEGIC
MANGEMENT
POND IN THE UPPER LEFT
TO STORE WATER / THE
DEEP DRAINS CUT INTO
ROCK SURFACE ( PHOTO
ON RIGHT AND LEFT TO
TEXT BOX) TO GUIDE
WATER AWAY FROM THE
BUND OF WEVA , BUT TO
DIVERT FLOW INTO A
STREAM WHICH FLOWS
TO WEVA
The rock surface in the center of the picture is structured grounded
and smoothened - assist gentle flow and the round hole (H) at the
top of the rock surface is hole for a light construction to cover the
flow. May be to prevent excessive evaporation from rock surface?
Engineered stream, which is forced to flow around the rock out
crop in a gentle channel
Micro Weva or Large Pond – between the lower steps and middle level
steps located away from the steps area and at the back of the temple
area. This was the storage for dana sala?
 WEVA – ANCIENT (LEFT) AND TODAY
(RIGHT)
• HIGHER RAINFALL (about
300 mms more than today
(Bryant, 1997, Seneviratne ,
2005)
• MONSSON CYCLE MORE
REGULAR
• CLEANED AND MAINTAINED
BY AN ADVANCED EM
SYSTEM
• LINKAGE ACTIVE
• LOWER RAINFALL (
ABOUT 300 MM LOWER than
during the ancient kingdom)
• MONSOON CYCLE
IRREGULAR
• NOT CLEANED AND
MAINTAINED BY AN
UNDEVELOPED EM
SYSTEM
• LINKAGE INACTIVE
 WEVA – ANCIENT (LEFT) AND TODAY (RIGHT)

• USAGE ORGANISED • USAGE NOT ORGANISED

AND ALLOCATED AND NOT ALLOCATED
• FLOW WASTAGE • FLOW WASTAGE
CONTROLLED UNCONTROLLED
• REGULATROY • REGULATORY
MEASURES ACTIVE MEASURES INACTIVE
• ROYAL CONTROL • ? CONTROL
 WEVA – ANCIENT (LEFT) AND TODAY (RIGHT)

• SPECIALISED • NO SETTLEMENT PLAN

SETTLEMENT PLAN • ? STATE AND VILLAGE
• CITY STATE AND LOCATION CONDUCTED
VILLAGE LOCATION WITHOUT A HOLISTIC
CONDUCTED WITH A ENVIRONMENTAL
HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
 DEMAND FOR WEVA
WEVA – ANCIENT (LEFT) AND TODAY (RIGHT)
• CONTROLLED AND • UNCONTROLLED AND
MEASURED NOT MEASURED
• POPULATION • POPULATION NOT
MOBILISED MOBILISED
Predicted in 2005 for next 30 years (Seneviratne,
2005)
• Dryness will increase, safe drinking water will
be a serious problem, the prevalence of
mosquito borne diseases will increase, annual
estimated damage will be about 50 to 100
billion rupees.

• Present status: The predicted damage levels

have surpassed in 2016 and 2017
 NEW RAJARATA INNOVATIVE 1-
SHORT TERM

• NATIONAL STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

(5 OR 10 YEAR)
• WATER - ENERGY – CREATION OF
PRODUCTIVE HUMAN CAPITAL
(MOBILISATION OF POPULACE)
• BEST AVAILABLE SYSTEM IS THE MODERN
PRC (PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA) SYSTEM
 NEW RAJARATA INNOVATIVE 1-
SHORT TERM

• REINVENT TO THE PRESENT BASED ON SCIENTIFIC

EXPERIENCE
• REENGINEERING BASED ON NEW HYDROLOGICAL
SYSTEM
• RECYCLING – FOR DRINKING COMMERCIAL AND
INDUSTRIAL
• WATER HARVESTING – REUSE OF WATER WITH
FILTRATION FOR AGRICULTURE
 NEW RAJARATA INNOVATIVE 2
• WITHIN (NSDP)
• TWIN RESERVOIR SYSTEM WITH SOLAR
PUMPING CAN INCREASE STORAGE WITHOUT
PRESSURE ON THE EXISTING BUND,
• STORE RAPID FLOW FROM INCREASED
INTENSITY OF RAINFALL
• PONDS FOR SEDIMENTATION CONTROL
(SAND COLLECTION)
 NEW RAJARATA INNOVATIVE 3

• MOBILISATION OF VILLAGE USING THE

SYSTEM OF ANCIENT CIVILISATION WITH
OWNERSHIP TO VILLAGE, ALLOCATION OF
FINANCES TO VILLAGE COMMITTEE ON FLOW
AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROL
• WATER HARVESTING – USE-REUSE-USE
 INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS
• RECYCLING – 100 PERCENT OF USED WATER IS
WASTE WATER, BUT ABOUT 40 TO 60
PERCENT CAN BE RECYCLED USING SOLAR
POWER
• RECYCLING – 90 PERCENT OF SOLID WASTE IS
TREATED AS WASTE, BUT 90 PERCENT CAN BE
RECYCLED TO BECOME FERTILISER OR FILLER
• WILL PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR ABOUT
100,000
 INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS
• CHANGE CROPS – ADD PULSES, EDIBLE
FOREST PRODUCTS THROUGH FOREST
HARVESTING TARDE NOW CLOSE TO 1
BILLION/YR / APURA DISTRICT
• SELECT QUALITY SPRINGS/WELLS – FOR
DRINKING WATER ONLY CLOSE TO 400
MILLION YEAR/ APURA DISTRICT
• LEGALISE SME/ ENERGY/WATER/CULTIVATION
 INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS cont

• ORGANISATION – PRIVATE
• SCALE – UNIT OF POPULATION BASED – EG
50,000
• FUNDED BY PROPER TAXATION ON USE OF
WATER SOURCE -WEVA
 INNOVATIVE ACTIONS cont.

• PRESENT DAY THOUGHT

• IT IS DIFFICULT
• DIFFICULT BECAUSE INEFFICIENT GOVERNANCE WHICH
LEADS TO POOR PLANNING WHICH CANNOT MOBILISE
POPULACE
• DEVELOPMENT IS DIFFICULT, UNTIL THE HUMAN CAPITAL IS
MOBILISED
 INNOVATIVE ACTIONS

• EXPERIMENTATION – WITH THE HELP OF

EXPERTS AND UNIVERSITIES OF THE REGION
• UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ALLOCATIONS FOR 2
YEARS TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE
ASPECTS OF EXPERIMENTATION FOR 2 YEARS
 FINANCING NEW RAJARATA
INNOVATIVE
• UNPLANNED PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS ON AND
AROUND WEVA IS EARNING ABOUT 150 TO 200 BILLION
RUPEES TO THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMY, BUT
NOT PROPERLY TAXED
• MIHINTHALE BULANKULAMA WEVA CATHCMENT EARNS
ABOUT 20 TO 30 MILLION RUPEES TO UNOFFICIAL PRIVATE
SECTOR
• AUTHOR HAS ALSO BENEFITED (2007 TO TODATE) SELLING
PHOTOS ON INTERNET, LECTURE FEES AND FULLY PAID
CONFERENCE INVITATIONS FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,
THERE IS A PROMISE ON REHABILITATING UTILISING 2007
PLAN MADE BY FINAL YEAR EM STUDENTS
 FINANCING NEW RAJARATA
INNOVATIVE
• HOTELS GUEST HOUSES -3 OFFICIAL
• FLOWER COLLECTION - LOTUS
• MEDICINAL PLANT COLLECTION
• GRAZING – DRY SEASON
• RECREATION – VISITING (50 TO 100/WEEK// POSON
TIME 3 TO 5000 /DAY), LOITERING (200 TO
300/WEEK), DRINKING ALCOHOL BY THE SHADE (50
TO 60 /WEEK),
• WATER FOR CONSTRUCTION AND LOW QUALITY
USE/ 4 TO 5/WEEK)
 FINANCING NEW RAJARATA
INNOVATIVE

• RECREATION – VISITING (50 TO 100/WEEK//

POSON TIME 3 TO 5000 /DAY), LOITERING
(200 TO 300/WEEK), DRINKING ALCOHOL BY
THE SHADE (50 TO 60 /WEEK),
• WATER FOR CONSTRUCTION AND LOW
QUALITY USE/ 4 TO 5/WEEK)
 FINANCING NEW RAJARATA
INNOVATIVE

• OBSERVATIONS MADE AT Nuwara weva,

Naachchaduwa and Mahakanadarawa weva
ares reveal that they are famous tourist areas
and economically highly productive with
flowers, medicinal plants and fishing
• Mahakanadarawa – annual fish value –
estimated Rs. 300 to 400 million- organised
can produce Rs. 1 to 2 billion
 INNOVATIVE ACTIONS cont.
• PROVEN EXAMPLE
• EXPERIMENTATION AND REHABILITATION OF A
SMALL WEVA IN A PRIVATE PROPERTY
INDICATED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE
THE SET OBJECTIVES GIVEN ABOVE
• INVESTMENT – 12 MILLION IN 2011
 INNOVATIVE ACTIONS cont.

• RECOVERED THE INVESTMENT AND A PROFIT

OF 6.4 MILLION BY END OF 2016 – NOT
AFFECTED BY PRESENT DROUGHT
 Bulldozing the weva

PHOTO ON LEFT IS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION ON UPPER

CATCHMENT (THAWULLA) OF WEVA / PHOTO ON RIGHT
IS AFTER CONSTRUCTION ( BUILDINGS AND
COMMUNICATION TOWER )
FILLED OR BULDOZED AREAS OF WEVA IN RED COLOUR
ORIGINAL AREA OF MIHINTHALE WEVA (BULANKULAMA) IS SHOWN IN
DARK BLUE COLOUR ABOVE PRESENT WEVA IN LIGHT BLUE
COLOUR
 THE DAMAGING CONCEPTS
• BULDOZING WEVA CONTINUES IN THE DRY ZONE
• A GROUP OF MIDDLE CLASS HIGHLY POLITICISED LOCAL INTELLIGENCIA
SAYS WEV SHOULD NOT BE CLEANED, RE ENGINEERED OR CHANGED IS
DIRECTING POLITCAL AUTHORITY
• POLITICAL AUTHORITY AND ENGINEERS ARE MORE INTERESTED IN
MASSIVE WATER DIVERSION SCHEMES, WHICH GIVE THEM LARGE
COMMISSIONS
• THE 2015-2018 DROUGHT INDICATE THAT EVEN MASSIVE WATER
DIVERSION SCHEMES CANNOT PROVIDE REQUIRED AMOUNTS OF WATER
TO THE DRY ZONE IN A DROUGHT LASTING MORE THAN ONE SEASON
• THE LOCAL INTELLIGENCIA, POLITICAL AUTHORITY AND THE ENGINEERS
HAVE ALLOWED THE WEV TO BE SLOWLY FILLED
 REALITY
• THE RAINS IN OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2018, AFTER A 3 YEAR DROUGHT INDICATED THAT ONLY AFTER
ABOUT 600 MILLIMETERS OF RAIN WEV BEGAN OVERFLOWING.
• IN REALITY AS PLANNED BY ANCIENT ENGINEERS WEV SHOULD OVERFLOW ONLY AFTER ABOUT 1000
MILLIMETERS OF RAIN
• QUICK OVERFLOW IS A RESULT OF SEDIMENTATION, DESTRUCTION OF THAWULLA (WHICH LEADS TO
RAPID FLOW) AND PONDS IN THE UPPER CATCHMENT (WHICH STORE WATER AND RELEASE SLOWLY)

• PEOPLE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OTHER THAN INDICATING “THOUGH THE WEV OVERFLOWS THERE WILL
NOT BE ENOUGH WATER EVEN TO COMPLETE THIS SEASON IF JANUARY RAINS FAIL, BECAUSE THE WEV
IS FILLED WITH MUD”.
• THE POLITICAL AUTHORITY HAS NO DESIRE TO LISTEN (ENGINEERS ARE HELPLESS)

• THE PLAN SHOULD BE TO FOLLOW ANCIENT “ RAJARATA SYSTEM” AND HAND OVER WEVA TO VILLAGE
OR THE FARMING COMMUNITY OF THE AREA” UNDER GUIDANCE FROM THE SPECIALIST WEV
ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE PRESIDENT

• VISIT TO 14 WEV AREAS SHOW THAT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IS FILLING AND ENCRAOCHING
WEVA (THAWULLA AND CACTHMENT). ALL ENCRAOCHERS WERE ELITE (POLITICAL OR SOCIAL) AND
GOVERNEMENT DEPARTMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH POLITICAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.