Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka: A Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System

The Tank Cascade System (TCS) of Sri Lanka is a connected series of tanks organized within a micro-catchment of a dry zone landscape for storing, conveying, and utilizing water from a temporary stream. FAO and the UN internationally recognize it as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System for food security and sustainable development in a changing climate. This edited volume offers a comprehensive and holistic coverage of the entire scope of cascade systems including their origins, governance, and integration with agriculture, biodiversity, cultural linkages, associated livelihoods, degradation causes, restoration efforts, gender perspectives, and disaster resilience.

Features

• Provides comprehensive coverage of the evolution of the Tank Cascade Systems over two millennia in Sri Lanka.
• Offers a holistic understanding of multifaceted dimensions of TCS from ecological importance to economic potential and offers a well-defined roadmap towards securing sustainable TCS.
• Addresses critical challenges of water quality, deterioration and prevalence of human health issues, human-wildlife conflicts, and land degradation.
• Discusses perspectives of restoring significant agricultural heritage systems around the globe for solving environmental and agricultural problems.
• Includes practical case studies with replicable models for integrated landscape management and livelihood enhancement.
• Outlines strategic approaches to sustainable management, encompassing ecosystem restoration, resilience against disasters, and gender-inclusive strategies.

This book is for researchers, academics, graduate, and senior undergraduate students in Agriculture, Environmental Science, Ecology, and Soil Science, and those interested in water conservation and sustainability in tropical landscapes. It also serves as an insightful reference for industry and government professionals, and human rights activists.

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.