Sri Lankan Traditional Knowledge in adaptation to climate change Systems of knowledge are many. Among these, modern science is only one, though the most powerful and universal. Rural people’s knowledge is in contrast ‘situated’, differing both by locality and by group and individual, and differing in its modes of experimenting and learning: different people know different things in different places, and learn new things in different ways. – Robert Chambers, 1994 Dharmasena, P.B., Presentation made at the Workshop on ‘Conservation and utilization of local varieties, traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources and agriculture’ held on 9-10 January 2017 at Oak Ray Regency Hotel, Deveni Rajasinghe Mawatha, Gatambe, Kandy.
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Sri Lankan Traditional Knowledge in adaptation to climate change
Systems of knowledge are many.Among these, modern science is only one, though the most powerful and universal. Rural people’s knowledge is in contrast ‘situated’, differing both by locality and by group and individual, and differing in its modes of experimenting and learning: different people know different things in different places, and learn new things in different ways.
– Robert Chambers, 1994
Dharmasena, P.B., Presentation made at the Workshop on ‘Conservation and utilization of local varieties, traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources and agriculture’ held on 9-10 January 2017 at Oak Ray Regency Hotel, Deveni Rajasinghe Mawatha, Gatambe, Kandy.
Network of tanks and streams in the form of cascades
Flood situation avoided Drought effect minimized
Opportunities for rich bio-diversityFood security through
diverse farming
Cyclone forcesdiluted
Total No. of tanks: 11Tanks with settlements (Wew gammana): 02Tanks without settlements (Olagam wew): 02Tanks to trap sediments (Kayan wew): 03Forest tanks (Kuluwew): 04
Sanitary places of women and kids
Sanitary places of men
Faeces as a nutrient source to paddy fieldsTank-village system will be declared soon as a
Globally Important Agriculture Heritage System (GIAHS) by UN
A Sustainable System to adapt Climate Change scenarios
Chena
Landa
Thisbambe
Gangoda
Godawala
Kattakaduwa
Kiul-ela
Streams
PerahanaGasgommana
Iswetiya
Chena
GodawalaPerahana
Gasgommana
Iswetiya
Tank water – no pollution, no sedimentation: safe drinking water, good storage
Landa
Thisbambe
Gangoda
Kattakaduwa
Kiul-ela
Paddy field - no salinity, good fertility: High productivity
What does climate change meanin Sri Lanka?
• The number of rainy days has decreased (except Nuwara Eliya)*.
• The total annual rainfall has not decreased in many areas*.• Annual rainfall variability has increased*.• Annual mean air temperature is increasing**.• Extreme events (drought and flood) are possible.
Traditional Agricultural Practices in adaptation to climate change
• ‘Bethma’ practice during drought periods– It is a practice that temporarily redistributes plots of land among
shareholders (paddy landowners) in part of the command area (territory) of a tank (reservoir) during drought periods
• ‘Pangu’ method – Regular maintenance to avoid disasters– The tank had to be maintained properly to avoid breach, leak, and
excess seepage. Repair and desiltation of tanks and cleaning of canals during dry periods are shared tasks assigned to each farmer proportionately to land ownership.
• ‘Kekulama’ if the low rainfall maha is expected – Farmers advance the cultivation time using early seasonal rains
whenever they feel that tanks would not get enough water to cultivate the command area. They have the experience that if September (2nd inter-monsoonal) rains are high, the total seasonal rainfall is not adequate to fill the tank.
600
650
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850
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1000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
September rainfall (mm)
September Vs. October-February rainfalls (Mahailluppallama 1905 – 2003)
Oct
ober
-Feb
ruar
y ra
infa
lls (m
m)
Traditional Agricultural Practices in adaptation to climate change
• ‘Bethma’ practice during drought periods– It is a practice that temporarily redistributes plots of land among shareholders
(paddy landowners) in part of the command area (territory) of a tank (reservoir) during drought periods
• ‘Pangu’ method – Regular maintenance to avoid disasters– The tank had to be maintained properly to avoid breach, leak, and excess
seepage. Repair and desiltation of tanks and cleaning of canals during dry periods are shared tasks assigned to each farmer proportionately to land ownership.
• ‘Kekulama’ if a low rainfall maha is expected – Farmers advance the cultivation time using early seasonal rains whenever they
feel that tanks would not get enough water to cultivate the command area. They have the experience that if September (2nd inter-monsoonal) rains are high, the total seasonal rainfall is not adequate to fill the tank.
• ‘Thawalu Govithena’ during extremely dry situation– Tank bed cultivation using little rains constructing a main soil bund between
deep phase and shallow phase of the tank bed
Four strata of tank water body
Madakaluwa – dead storage area
Wewpitiya – deep water area
Waangilma – area between FSL and HFLWewthaula – shallow water area
Master bund in Thawulu Govithena to prevent tank sedimentation