IUCN signs MoU with HSBC

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) signed an MoU last week with HSBC to restore a traditional cascade tank system in the North Central Province. The project will be completed within three years. This is a part of HSBC's Global Water Program.

IUCN and HSBC officials sign the MoU to restore a cascade tank system in Anuradhapura.

The partnership will provide an opportunity to demonstrate ecological and socio-economic benefits of the cascade tank system.

"We are confident that the lessons learnt from this project and the partnership with key agencies would help ensure the best practices in restoration and management which could influence policy towards taking cascade systems of tanks as a planning unit for future restoration efforts of small irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka," IUCN Acting Country Representative Shamen Vidanage said.

The IUCN Sri Lanka Country Office, the main implementing partner of the project, has built a strong team with the support of the Departments of Agrarian Development, Agriculture, Irrigation, the Mahaweli Authority and the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Peradeniya to facilitate the implementation and coordination of related activities.

"Sri Lanka faces challenges in the area of water management. The importance of water as an essential resource in the daily lives of communities increases the need for a better water management mechanism. It is essential to implement rapid collaborative action worldwide to enhance water resource management which is vital for global economic growth," said HSBC Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Chief Executive Officer Nick Nicolaou.

The objective of this intervention is the restoration of a cascade tank system that is unique and traditional, a mechanism used for over 2,500 years to collect rain water for agriculture, rural livelihoods and environmental benefits.

The project will involve the scientific restoration of the Kapirikgama cascade tank system in the Anuradhapura district and the development of a sustainable management mechanism with the participation of local communities and regulatory bodies. The project will also restore watershed contributing to the sustainability of the system and its biodiversity.

- SJ