FAO recognizes Sri Lanka's Ellanga Gammana agrarian system as a Globally Important

Agricultural Heritage System

Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 08:20 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Apr 19, Rome: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) has recognized the Sri Lankan agrarian system, the
"Ellanga Gammana" or Cascaded Tank-Village system in the Dry
Zone as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System
(GIAHS).

The Cascaded Tank-Village System in Sri Lanka was recognized at

the International Forum and Award ceremony for new GIAHS sites in Rome, Italy on Thursday.

FAO's Deputy Director-General, Ms Maria Helena Semedo, granted the GIAHS award to Sri
Lanka on 19 April at the FAO headquarters in Rome.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr B. Wijayaratne received the prestigious

distinction on behalf of the country, and especially in the name of the farmers from the Dry Zone
of Sri Lanka who over millennia have created, developed and mainta ined the cascaded ponds and
tanks in the country, the FAO said.

Thirteen new agricultural heritage sites from China, Egypt, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico,
Portugal, Spain and Sri Lanka were designated this year. With the new sites, there is a total of 50
globally recognized agricultural heritage systems in 20 countries.

The FAO-led initiative aims to protect and promote valuable agricultural heritage, preserve
biodiversity and traditional knowledge, as well as create resilient ecosystems.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Agriculture submitted the proposal to include the Cascaded Tank-Village
System in Palugaswewa in the Anuradhapura district to the FAO list of GIAHS last year.

The Palugaswewa Divisional Secretariat area consists of 12 Cascade Systems, and is located
within the Malwathu Oya and Yan Oya river basins.

The Cascaded Tank-Village System is a connected series of tanks organized within a micro-
catchment of the dry zone landscape, storing, conveying and utilizing water from an ephemeral
rivulet. It is an ancient, widely used and unique traditional agriculture system. The system
provides water for irrigation, domestic purposes, animals and ecosystems.

The foundation for the largest part of the country's agricultural production, the village tanks host
a remarkable heritage of agro-biodiversity and wild biodiversity and constitute a unique buffer
against natural disasters and climate change. The global significance of this system is high due to
the practical solution it provides to absorb shocks of natural disasters such as floods which can
be controlled by storing water, and drought by reducing the water loss from tanks due to
existence of the surrounding ecosystem. The Cascaded Tank-Village System also contributes to
efficient water management with water from one tank flowing to another, through a network of
tanks and streams.

However, the continuation of the Cascaded Tank-Village System is threatened by the poor
income of farmers, rural-urban migration of the youth, deforestation, and the degradation of the
tank eco-system. Its protection is integral to ensure the continuity and improvement of the
country's food and livelihood security, as well as sustainable rural development.

The Government of Sri Lanka has taken a policy decision to reinforce the Cascaded Tank-
Village System and is preparing a Master Plan for the conservation and development of the
system.

The restoration of the ecological features of the "ellanga gammana" has also been an important
component in rehabilitating approximately 200 irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka through various
FAO projects implemented in the post-conflict period. In 2016, with the active participation of
the village communities, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture over 3000
forest plants were replanted in the upstream section (gasgommana) and the downstream
reservation (kattakaduwa) of the Palugaswewa cascade system.
Rome, Italy: A Sri Lankan agrarian system, the ‘ellanga gammana’ or cascaded tank-village system in the
dry zone was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The cascaded tank-village system in Sri Lanka was recognised at the International Forum and Award
ceremony for new GIAHS sites in Rome, Italy.

FAO’s Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, granted the GIAHS award to Sri Lanka on 19 April
at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Ministry of Agriculture Secretary B. Wijayaratne received this
prestigious distinction on behalf of the country, and especially in the name of the farmers from the dry
zone of Sri Lanka who over millennia have created, developed and maintained the cascaded ponds and
tanks in the country.

Thirteen new agricultural heritage sites from China, Egypt, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Portugal,
Spain and Sri Lanka were designated this year. With the new sites, there is a total of 50 globally
recognized agricultural heritage systems in 20 countries. This FAO-led initiative aims to protect and
promote valuable agricultural heritage, preserve biodiversity and traditional knowledge, as well as
create resilient ecosystems.

The proposal to include the cascaded tank-village system in Palugaswewa in the Anuradhapura District
to the FAO list of GIAHS was submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture last year. The Palugaswewa
Divisional Secretariat area consists of 12 cascade systems, and is located within the Malwathuoya and
Yanoya river basins.

The cascaded tank-village system is a connected series of tanks organised within a micro-catchment of
the dry zone landscape, storing, conveying and utilising water from an ephemeral rivulet. It is an
ancient, widely used and unique traditional agriculture system. The system provides water for irrigation,
domestic purposes, animals and ecosystems.

The foundation for the largest part of the country’s agricultural production, the village tanks host a
remarkable heritage of agro-biodiversity and wild biodiversity and constitute a unique buffer against
natural disasters and climate change.

The global significance of this system is high due to the practical solution it provides to absorb shocks of
natural disasters such as floods which can be controlled by storing water, and drought by reducing the
water loss from tanks due to existence of the surrounding ecosystem. The cascaded tank-village system
also contributes to efficient water management with water from one tank flowing to another, through a
network of tanks and streams. However, the continuation of the cascaded tank-village system is
threatened by the poor income of farmers, rural-urban migration of the youth, deforestation, and the
degradation of the tank eco-system. Its protection is integral to ensure the continuity and improvement
of the country’s food and livelihood security, as well as sustainable rural development.

The Government has taken a policy decision to reinforce the cascaded tank-village system and is
preparing a Master Plan for the conservation and development of the system. The restoration of the
ecological features of the ‘ellanga gammana’ has also been an important component in rehabilitating
approximately 200 irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka through various FAO projects implemented in the post -
conflict period.

In 2016, with the active participation of the village communities, the Ministry of Environment and the
Ministry of Agriculture over 3000 forest plants were replanted in the upstream section (gasgommana)
and the downstream reservation (kattakaduwa) of the Palugaswewa cascade system.

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems such as the cascaded tank-village system in the dry
zone of Sri Lanka have long played, and continue to play a crucial role at global, regional and national
level for food security and sustainable development in the context of climate change.
The international forum and ceremony to award Sri Lanka’s Cascaded Tank-Village System as a Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Site took place in Rome, Italy today.

The system, known locally as the “Ellanga Gammana,” was recognized as one of the 14 newly
designated Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Sites in the world.

The award was accepted by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture B. Wijeratne on behalf
of Sri Lanka.

The other sites awarded today are in China, Egypt, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Portugal
and Spain.

An “Ellanga system” is a system where a large number of small rivers are inter-connected based
on their geographical locations to nourish one large river.

SL’s Cascaded Tank Village System

recognised as Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Site
By Keshala Dias
– Sri Lankan agrarian system, the “Ellanga Wewa-Gammana” or Cascaded Tank-Village System
in the Dry Zone, was designated today (April 19th) as a Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The Cascaded Tank-Village System in Sri Lanka was recognised at the international forum and
awards ceremony for new GIAHS sites, in Rome, Italy.

An “Ellanga system” can be identified as a series of wewas that feed water to a bigger wewa in
the village based on the topography of the area. These wewas are not mere tanks where water is
being stored but they create a whole different ecosystem for flora and fauna in addition to
sustaining the lives and livelihoods of people living around it. Recent studies into the Ellanga
system have shown that the smaller wewas in the system acted as a filter similar to a kidney.

With the new sites, there is a total of 50 globally recognised agricultural heritage systems in 20
countries. According to the FAO, this initiative aims to protect and promote valuable agricultural
heritage, preserve biodiversity and traditional knowledge, as well as create resilient ecosystems.

Identifying and recognising the importance of the irrigation system, Gammadda’s Gamin
Gamata, Wewin Wewata initiative recently carried out an extensive research into the Ellanga
system in the Bellankadawala area in Anuradhapura.

Through the research that was carried out with the support of the Peradeniya University, our
teams were able to uncover many facts regarding the Ellanga system and the importance of
ancient technology in Sri Lanka.

The initiative was launched with the aim of conserving the magnificent irrigation system for
future generations.

The UN has recognised this same Ellanga system as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
System.