Strengthening Climate Resilience of Subsistence Farmers and Agricultural Plantation Communities residing in the vulnerable river basins, watershed areas and downstream of the Knuckles Mountain Range Catchment of Sri Lanka

The project seeks to strengthen the adaptive capacity of smallholder subsistence farmers to address climate-induced irrigation and drinking water shortages by improving the resilience of farm- and land-management practices, and by climate proofing the underlying ecosystems in the Knuckles/Amban Ganga highlands and lowlands.

The project covers the upper watershed and downstream areas of the Knuckles Mountain Range, which is a UNESCO heritage site that includes key biodiversity hotspots and forest reserves. The region is dominated by tea plantations and forests (natural and plantation) along with other field crops and home gardens. The water absorbed and released is used for power generation, agriculture within the mountain and downstream areas, and domestic consumption. The reservoirs in the upstream catchment are the primary source of irrigation water for agriculture and other livelihoods in the downstream command area, of which 24 per cent is covered in irrigated rice. Increases in temperature and windspeed as well as a shift in the intensity of seasonal rainfall are observed to accelerate the intensity and frequency of extreme events, such as floods, landslides and droughts that are erosive. Increased erosion and sedimentation in the upstream catchments reduce the reservoir capacity as well as soil quality, in turn, increasing the water shortage and food insecurity for the region, mostly affecting the smallholder and subsistence farmers.