SecureWater research: National
workshop in Sri Lanka December 2003
A national level workshop has been held in Colombo in December
2003. The purpose of this workshop was to discuss the findings
from the Secure Water Sri Lankan case study.
The purpose of the SecureWater research is to build an improved
understanding of the linkages between water and livelihoods
into the implementation of Demand Responsive Approaches (DRA)
to water supply development. There is a long and distinguished
history of water development in Sri Lanka, primarily as the
responsibility of the State, but it is increasingly recognised
that existing arrangements are inadequate to meet current
and future needs. The need for sector reform is widely acknowledged
but the process of reform is often controversial (vis recent
debate on water services reform bill). Unfortunately there
is currently only limited money available in Sri Lanka for
research to inform policy debates. Research such as this is
therefore valuable in providing a bit of 'thinking space'
to reflect critically on some of these issues. Further in-depth
understanding will depend on long-term commitment to research
in Sri Lanka in order to understand broader trends and form
a solid basis for policy making.
This workshop was unusual in bringing together such a range
of different sectoral stakeholders (government, policy makers,
researchers, NGOs and implementing agencies) and as such represented
a valuable opportunity for constructive dialogue. The workshop
agenda was structured sequentially to address issues of policy,
implementation, impacts and ways forward. The event was also
being filmed as part of the WRS public awareness campaign
on water reform and clips and short interviews may be used
in forthcoming documentaries.
Read
here the workshop proceedings 
Presentations
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