Water Policy Vol 10 No S1 pp 37–50 © IWA Publishing 2008 doi:10.2166/wp.2008.051
Irrigation versus hydropower: sectoral conflicts in southern Sri Lanka
François Mollea, Priyantha Jayakodyb, Ranjith Ariyaratneb and H. S. Somatilakec
aInstitut de Recherche pour le Développement, 911, Avenue Agropolis BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France . Fax: 04 67 63 87 78. *Corresponding author. E-mail: molle@mpl.ird.fr
bInternational Water Management Institute, PO BOX 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka
cInternational Water Management Institute, Ceylon Electricity Board, Kapugala, Balangoda District, Sri Lanka
ABSTRACT
Although hydropower does not directly consume water, its generation frequently conflicts with other uses, notably irrigation, because its release schedule does not always correspond to the timing of water use by other activities. This article analyses a case from the Walawe river basin, Sri Lanka, where economic efficiency can be raised by reducing releases from the dam for irrigation for the benefit of hydropower generation. The tradeoff is analysed in financial and managerial terms and different options for reducing irrigation diversions are reviewed. Although the high level of current diversions for irrigation warrants the possibility of improvement in management, it is shown that finding ways to reduce supply faces technical and socio-political constraints that make the realization of economic benefits costly and difficult.
Keywords: Economic valuation; Hydropower; Irrigation; Sri Lanka; Water management; Water rights
Full article (PDF Format)
PAY-PER-VIEW: Buy this article for £20.00 (IWA MEMBER PRICE: £15.00)
|
