For Rural Sri Lanka, Ancient Technology Eases Water Woes

By Passanna Gunasekera

A family stands in front of their rainwater harvesting tank.
Rehana Cuttilan

---

Where only 15 percent of rural communities have piped-water, rooftop rainwater harvesting is giving drought-prone villages a new lease on life.

It is not for nothing that people from rural, drought-prone villages in Sri Lanka’s northern Vavuniya district, a former war zone, say that water is more precious than gold. Less than 5 percent of the district’s residents have running water in their homes. For the rest, fetching water from the closest wells or reservoirs is a back-breaking daily endeavor.

“According to my religion, it’s a sin to refuse when someone asks for water. We had no choice but to do so each time neighbors as well as students and staff from the nearby village school came asking for water. Every drop was so precious,” said Sarifa Fathima, 56, a mother of four and grandmother of three.