Improving Groundwater Management in the Jaffna Peninsula is the title of a project being implemented by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) headquartered in Colombo, with funds from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The citizen science component of this Project was launched at a ceremony held at the Hoover Auditorium on Tuesday, 28 January, 2025, in collaboration with the WASPAR Project at the University of Jaffna, and the Secretariat of the Northern Province.
UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Hon Andrew Patrick, the UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Ms Catherine West MP, Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Mr. L. Ilangovan, Government Agent of Jaffna, Mr M Piratheepan, and Vice Chancellor, University of Jaffna, Professor S Srisatkunarajah graced the occasion as special guests. The visiting Minister Catherine West MP handed out to Principals of twenty selected schools in the Jaffna District a set of instruments for monitoring school wells for water level and salinity by students.
IWMI was represented by Deputy Country Managers, Nishadi Eriyagama and Lal Mutuwatte along with a team of researchers. Several Directors and Heads of Department of the Northern Province, and University academics also attended the event.
Conversations are ongoing between IWMI researchers and the University of Jaffna researchers about longer term collaboration in the next phase of this study which seeks a balance between groundwater consumption and conservation as well as community needs and resource limits.
