Tank cascade system: A nature-based solution for achieving climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s dry zone

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cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country instituteen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationBioversity Internationalen_US
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Funden_US
cg.coverage.countrySri Lankaen_US
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2LKen_US
cg.coverage.regionAsiaen_US
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Asiaen_US
cg.creator.identifierSujith Ratnayake: 0000-0003-1923-5531en_US
cg.creator.identifierTeresa Borelli: 0000-0002-6405-1339en_US
cg.creator.identifierDanny Hunter: 0000-0002-4267-595Xen_US
cg.subject.actionAreaResilient Agrifood Systemsen_US
cg.subject.actionAreaSystems Transformationen_US
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatAGRICULTUREen_US
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatCLIMATE CHANGEen_US
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatECOSYSTEM SERVICESen_US
cg.subject.alliancebiovciatWATERen_US
cg.subject.impactAreaEnvironmental health and biodiversityen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 1 - No povertyen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 2 - Zero hungeren_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 6 - Clean water and sanitationen_US
dc.contributor.authorRatnayake, Sujith S.en_US
dc.contributor.authorMendonce, Sharonen_US
dc.contributor.authorBorelli, Teresaen_US
dc.contributor.authorHunter, Dannyen_US
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Ajithen_US
dc.contributor.authorDissanayake, Thushanien_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-06T19:47:47Zen_US
dc.date.available2024-11-06T19:47:47Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/159336en_US
dc.titleTank cascade system: A nature-based solution for achieving climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s dry zoneen_US
dcterms.abstractThe Tank Cascade System (TCS) is an ancient, man-made rainwater harvesting and irrigation system unique to Sri Lanka’s dry zone. An ecosystem in itself, the TCS consists of an intricate network of small to large ‘tanks’ positioned along a gradient and connected through a series of canals. Within the system, paddy fields and dense forests coexist providing habitats for socio-ecologically significant species. Historically, the system has been crucial in drought and flood mitigation. Furthermore, fully functioning TCSs harvest copious amounts of rainwater, which is primarily used for irrigation to enable year-round crop production by the farming communities of the cascade landscape. The system’s important role in food security, rural livelihoods and local culture led to its designation as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in 2017. Despite the TCS’s significance, the system has been deteriorating, and its sustainability is threatened by widespread tank neglect, rapid land use changes and biodiversity loss –the impacts of which are exacerbated by the effects of climate variability. There is national interest in safeguarding the TCS, though. The system has been recognized in Sri Lanka’s 2016-2025 National Adaptation Plan for Climate Change Impacts and within the 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions as an important Nature-based Solution (NbS) for strengthening national climate resilience. However, there is little evidence of this national support translating into on the ground action and of effective solutions to the challenges threatening TCS sustainability. This case study aims to fill these evidence gaps by sharing findings from research and project activities carried out under the Healthy Landscapes project. With a special focus on mainstreaming biodiversity and strengthening cascade ecology, the project rehabilitated and promoted the sustainable management of the TCS. This case study will highlight pathways for TCS rehabilitation to strengthen its function as a NbS, including associated challenges and further opportunities. As the cascade landscape community plays an important role in climate adaptation and resilience within the country's dry zone, we also emphasize the importance of investigating their perceptions of current national policy and formulating localized adaptation strategies that benefit climate resilience, food security and rural livelihoods.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Accessen_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationRatnayake, S.S.; Mendonce, S.; Borelli, T.; Hunter, D.; Silva, A.; Dissanayake, T. (2024) Tank cascade system: A nature-based solution for achieving climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. Prepared for Tropentag Conference on International Research on Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development on 11-13 September 2024 in Vienna (Austria). 4 p.en_US
dcterms.extent4 p.en_US
dcterms.issued2024-10-31en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0en_US
dcterms.subjectclimate resilienceen_US
dcterms.subjectnature-based solutionsen_US
dcterms.subjectecosystem restorationen_US
dcterms.typeConference Paperen_US

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