The United Kingdom’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, and the High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick, met with local community representatives and researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to discuss ongoing efforts to improve groundwater management in the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka. On January 28, 2025, West launched the citizen science component of IWMI’s groundwater project in Jaffna, with the distribution of electrical conductivity meters to 20 schools across the peninsula, empowering local students to contribute to water quality monitoring and data collection efforts.
“The UK is proud to support the Improving Groundwater Management in Jaffna project through our Climate Action for a Resilient Asia program,” said West at an event convened with local stakeholders. “I am particularly pleased to help launch the citizen science component. Data collected with handheld electrical conductivity meters will provide valuable insights into water quality in Jaffna, supporting future projects and policies aimed at improving water management in the region.”
Citizen science will provide valuable data on the variation in salinity levels of water throughout 2025 and will highlight seasonal variations. Lal Muthuwatta, Researcher on Hydrology and Hydrological Modeling at IWMI, explained that these insights were crucial to understanding water quality in the peninsula, and that wells were important water resources for the area.
The Jaffna peninsula faces significant challenges in managing groundwater resources, essential for the region’s agriculture, domestic use and industry. Overuse, particularly during the dry season, contributes to overall water scarcity and further deteriorates water quality — problems that are compounded by climate change. IWMI’s project will allow researchers to develop a groundwater management strategy that addresses climate change impacts and incorporates sustainable practices, such as nature-based solutions and groundwater interventions.
IWMI researchers hope to make significant strides in improving groundwater management in Jaffna through a combination of research, community engagement and practical initiatives. Researchers conducted a large-scale survey to gather valuable data on groundwater and socioeconomic profiles in the region in coordination with the Northern Provincial Council’s Department of Agriculture. This included an assessment on water accessibility challenges faced by local farmers and households.
IWMI will also support Sri Lanka’s National Water Supply and Drainage Board to establish a groundwater monitoring network that provides real-time data on water levels and quality, which will offer critical insights for long-term groundwater management strategies.
