US partners with Sri Lanka to improve water management

COLOMBO (News 1st); United State is partnering with Sri Lanka to improve water management to support communities that are facing challenges in accessing clean drinking water.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, joined Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister Jeewan Thondaman in celebrating World Water Day on Wednesday (22), where she made these remarks.

"It seems a little ironic to talk about water conservation in a country that annually averages benefits from about 2,000 millimeters of rain. But the reality is this generous gift from nature doesn’t benefit all Sri Lankans as much as it could, with less than half of rural Sri Lankans having access to piped water," said the Ambassdor.

"That is why I’m so proud that the United States is partnering with Sri Lanka to improve water management.  This work builds on an amazing history in Sri Lanka, including complex ancient water works dating back to 300 BCE," she noted.

She said "Today the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, is working with the Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum to bring good drinking water to Sri Lankans.  And bringing clean, safe drinking water to more Sri Lankans is what this forum is all about."

The US Ambassador also spoke about her own personal experience in water management.

"I’ve witnessed first-hand wasteful practices even in the face of water shortages, so this is a personal issue for me. I grew up in California, and our climate is very dry. For my entire childhood, water scarcity was a constant challenge. Climate change makes these problems worse. California has gone from suffering drought to suffering from historic rainfall, but even that drives home the point that the effective management of water remains a constant challenge.

When I was a girl growing up and California was suffering various levels of drought, my family was sacrificing to conserve water. But I would see my neighbors watering their lawns! It made me angry even as a child.  As an adult, well, I still get angry, but I’ve also learned it is far better to take action.

We all have to talk to our neighbors, our relatives, and our friends. We have to take advantage of new technology and new management techniques, large and small, to conserve and more efficiently use the water we have available to us.  Because that water might not be available next month, or next year, or for our children and grandchildren."