::: VISION 2025 :::

Water & Environment

An extract from the government policy statement...

Water resources and environment are closely inter-related. Clearing of the forest cover in the upper watershed areas has created many environmental problems already and affected bio-diversity.

Soil erosion is recognized as one of the major environment disasters in Sri Lanka's hill country. The annual loss to the country on account of soil erosion and water pollution has been estimated at 2% of the GPD.

Increased surface run-off, frequent flooding, landslides, siltation of reservoirs and downstream riverbeds, reduced base flows and depletion of groundwater resources due to inadequate recharge are important environmental problems.

Increased awareness of this will lead to the re-establishment of commercially and/or biologically useful forest cover.

The decline of rural population and changes in the agricultural economy will make this possible by reducing the pressure of population on cultivated land and fragile eco-systems.(Water pollution in the urban sector -industries, recycling …)

Sri Lanka with its time honored tradition of conservation of fauna and flora and being a bio-diversity hot spot has a commitment to have strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between economic development and environmental conservation in the Water Sector in the context of natural resources management.