The conference of the Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project was held under the chairmanship of Mr. K.D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.

The Symposium on Climate Action 2025 related to the Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project (CRIWMP) was held today (30^th ) at the Colombo Shangri-La Hotel premises under the chairmanship of Mr. K.D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.

 The Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project, also known as ‘Wew Gam Pubuduwa’, is a project implemented over 08 years covering 07 districts within 03 dry zone river basins based on cascade systems. The ‘Wew Gam Pubuduwa’ project was implemented to increase the income of farmers and improve their living standards in dry zone rural tank-dependent areas facing climate change.

Joining this occasion, the Minister expressed his appreciation regarding the success of the project.

According to me, this is a successful project. I spoke with the people about the project. The people were well connected to this project. For any project to succeed in our country, a good director as well as a good staff is needed. This project has handled its staff very skillfully. Similarly, government officials such as the Grama Niladhari, Agrarian Development Officer and Irrigation Officer have been managed well. To make a project successful, government officials must be managed properly. When a project succeeds in a village, obtaining the support of officials is difficult. However, the 'Wew Gam Pubudawa' project has successfully overcome that challenge. Also, adapting the project to the culture is important. This project has operated with an understanding of people's lives, daily routines, and culture.

Our country is known as ‘Wew Bendi Rajya’. We don't dig tanks. We build tanks. When implementing the ‘Wew Gam Pubuduwa’ project, they have worked with a good understanding of tanks. Efforts were made to replant the area covering the tank bund. When animals come there, the survival of those animals is protected.

A tank is a vast system, a plant system and an animal system. Under 'Wew Gam Pubuduwa,' those systems were restored. I saw that the people enjoyed the benefits because the project worked with knowledge and recognition of all this. This project is successful in terms of ecological balance and water conservation. The experiences are important for successfully implementing the project further.

A group including Mr. Dr. Susil Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation, Mr. D.P. Wickramasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and project officers participated in this occasion.