1st Edition
Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka A Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System
1. Executive Summary for Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka: A Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System
Nalaka Geekiyanage, M.H.J.P. Gunarathna, Manjula Ranagalage et al.
Section 1: Background
2. Evolution of Village Tanks to Tank Cascade Systems: An Archaeological and Historical Investigation
C.R. Withanachchi and S. Köpke
3. Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka: Concept, Components, and Complexity
Muditha Prasannajith Perera and C.M. Madduma Bandara
4. Hydrology and Water Management in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
M.H.J.P. Gunarathna, M.K.N. Kumari, Katarzyna Glinska-Lewczuk et al.
5. Preserving Cultural Riches: The Fading Ritual Legacy of Sri Lanka's Tank Cascade Systems
A.A.L.C. Perera and Nalaka Geekiyanage
6. The Economic Value of Ecosystem Services Arising from Village Tank Cascade Systems (TCS)
N.M.K.C. Premarathne, Virajith Kuruppu, O.P.V.H. Patabandi et al.
7. Biodiversity of Kala Oya Cascade System
Sriyani Wickramasinghe, T.V. Sundarabarathy, K.D.B. Ukuwela et al.
8. Ecological and Evolutionary Affinities of Avifauna in the Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
Sampath S. Seneviratne, Ayeshma S. Adikari, Janani Chathurya et al.
Section 2: Sustainable Utilization
9. Knowledge and Wisdom of Farmers in Tropical Agricultural Systems: Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
R.H.G. Ranil, Z. Polesny, M.W.K.P. Silva et al.
10. Legacy of Animal Agriculture in Tank Cascade Systems
G.L.L.P. Silva and S.C. Somasiri
11. Culture-based Fisheries in Tank Cascade Systems for Food Systems and Livelihoods
Mohottala G. Kularatne and Upali S. Amarasinghe
12. Ornamental Aquatic Flora in Tank Cascade System of Sri Lanka: An Unexploited Treasure Trove
D. Wijayawardhana, K. Yakandawala, and V. Herath
13. Promise of Community-Based Agro-Ecotourism in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
S.M.C.B. Karalliyadda, A.I.Y. Lankapura, D.A.N.M. Wijesiri et al.
Section 3: Issues and Challenges
14. Irrigation Water Quality Management in Tank Cascade Systems
M.K.N. Kumari, A.A.L.C. Perera, M.H.J.P. Gunarathna et al.
15. Moving Beyond Deterrence: Socio-economic Factors Driving Bio-Fence Adoption among Dry Zone Farmers to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict
A.A.L.C. Perera, K.M.R.D. Abhayapala, N. Dharmarathne et al.
16. Tackling Issues of Soil Erosion and Sedimentation in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
P. Kowshayini, H.B. Nayakekorala, and S. Pathmarajah
17. Spatiotemporal Changes of the Forest Degradation in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka
Manjula Ranagalage and M.H.J.P. Gunarathna
18. Role of Property Rights for Open Access Resources in Tank Cascade Systems in Sri Lanka
Sulochana Silva, Senal A. Weerasooriya, and Jeevika Weerahewa
19. Degradation of Tank Cascade Systems: Colonial Period to the Present-day
Muditha Prasannajith Perera
20. Managing Invasive Alien Plants in Tank Cascade Systems in Sri Lanka
Buddhi Marambe, Bandula Sanjeewa, and Chami Kumararathne
Section 4: Sustainable Management
21. Ecological Restoration of Sri Lanka’s Tank Cascade Systems
Sarath Ekanayake and Sampath De A. Goonatilake
22. Nexus of Food Security and Tank Cascade Systems in Sri Lanka
G.A.S. Ginigaddara and W.A.M.K. Adikaram
23. Building Resilience to Climate Change Impacts on Tank Cascade Systems-Livelihoods-Environment Nexus; A Synergic Management Approach
B.K.A. Bellanthudawa, I.J.J.U.N. Perera, O.D.I.P. Dissanayake et al.
24. Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka and Human Health Implications
P.H.G.J. Pushpakumara
25. Tank Cascade Systems and Disaster Resilience: An Integrated Approach
T.A.N.T. Perera, K.M.C. Tharupath, H.A.T.N. Perera et al.
26. Gender Perspective on Participatory Management of Tank Cascade Systems in Sri Lanka
H.U.K. Dilanjani and R.M.K. Ratnayake
27. Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Agricultural Water Management: An Example of Sri Lanka’s Tank Cascade Systems
Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk, M.H.J.P. Gunarathna, and M.K.N. Kumari
28. Governance of Village Tank Cascade System Restoration: Role of Watershed Scale Coordinating Mechanisms for Aligning Interests and Services
Christopher Koliba, Keminda Herath, Mohamed Esham et al.
Section 5: Case Studies
29. Significance and Conservation Strategies for Thaulla of Ancient Tanks in the Tank Cascade System in Sri Lanka
N.S. Abeysingha and D.M.S. Duminda
30. Cyrtobagous salviniae for Bio-controlling Salvinia molesta in Tank Cascade Systems of Medawachchiya in Northcentral Sri Lanka
U.G.A.I. Sirisena, Y.K. Chandrasekara, S.S.K. Hemachandra et al.
31. A Case Study on Eco-cultural Heritage Tourism: An Innovative Rendezvous of Past Hydraulic Civilization with the Present and Future
N. Gunatilleke and S. Gunatilleke
32. Managing Flood Risk in Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka for Improved Disaster Resilience
W.M.S.B. Wanninayake
33. Declining Performance of Village Tanks: A Case Study in Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka
A. Nanthakumaran
34. Socio-cultural, Ecological and Legal Perspectives on Small Tank Management in a Cascade System in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
B.P.W. Jayasuriya and D.M.S.H.K. Ranasinghe
Section 6: Synthesis
35. Research, Development, and Conservation Needs for Sustainable Management of Tank Cascade Systems
Nalaka Geekiyanage, M.H.J.P. Gunarathna, Manjula Ranagalage et al.
Biography
Nalaka Geekiyanage is a Senior Lecturer at Rajarata University, Sri Lanka. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Peradeniya and earned his Ph.D. from Kyoto University. His expertise lies in Forestry, Plant Ecology, and Restoration Ecology, with a focus on the ecological dynamics of tropical ecosystems. Geekiyanage has authored over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He has been recognized with 15 awards and fellowships, including the President’s Award for Scientific Publications. Geekiyanage serves as an Editor for the renowned journals Plant Ecology and Diversity and Journal of Sustainable Forestry. In addition to his academic work, he is actively involved in securing funding for research, development, and conservation initiatives, while being passionate about popularizing science.
M.H.J.P Gunarathna, Professor in Agricultural Engineering at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, earned First-Class Honors B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Ruhuna, M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering from Central Luzon State University, Philippines and Ph.D. in Regional Resource Environmental Engineering from Kagoshima University, Japan. With over 40 articles and several books written in water management and environmental modelling, he's recognized as a 4-star researcher with an h-index of 14. He serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for several national and international journals and has received numerous awards for research excellence.
Manjula Ranagalage, Professor at Rajarata University, Sri Lanka, earned a Ph.D. in Geo-Environmental Sciences from the University of Tsukuba, Japan. With expertise in Geo-informatics and Geography, he's published over 50 articles and serves on editorial boards of international journals. He's a leading figure in Social Sciences and Humanities in Sri Lanka. He Was a JSPS postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. He won several national and international awards for research excellence. He is a council member of the National Research Council, Sri Lanka.
G.Y. Jayasinghe, Professor in Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Technology at Ruhuna University, Sri Lanka, received prestigious awards including the Endeavour Postgraduate Research Fellowship, Australia and Monbukagakusho Award, Japan. With over 150 publications and contributions to conferences, he's recognized for scholarly contributions. He serves as an expert for institutional reviews, showcasing expertise in Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Technology.
Muditha Prasannajith Perera, Professor in Geography at the University of Peradeniya, specializes in hydro-ecology, hydraulic civilization, and watershed management. Recognized for over 80 publications, and he serves as an editorial board member and reviewer for a few national and international journals. His expertise extends to tank cascade irrigation systems and watershed management projects in Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh. He coordinates academic programs at the Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya.
Meththika Vithanage, Professor in Natural Resources at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, is a Highly Cited Researcher recognized by Clarivate Analytics. She received the Fayzah M. Al-Kharafi Award from TWAS in 2020. She has written and contributed to over 250 SCI journal articles, 60 book chapters, and 8 co-edited books. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka.
