Photographer’s comment: “An 11-month-long drought, worsened by a weak monsoon, has affected over 1.6 million people in Sri Lanka this year. However, water is in abundant supply, in this ancient reservoir in the Island’s Anuradhapura district. One of 18 such basins constructed in the 5thcentury by King Dhatusena, the reservoir today is part of the Mahaweli Irrigation Scheme and provides the population of North Central Sri Lanka with fresh water. The application of controlled, traditional fishing techniques, combined with a quota system also ensures livelihoods are supported, even as fish populations can thrive. Its success calls to mind the saying attributed to a venerated Sri Lankan ruler, Parakrama Bahu (1153–1186 AD): “Let not even a drop of rain water go to the sea without benefiting man.”
Photo: Shanmugaraja Sudakaran
