Fair and Unfair: A Study into the Bethma System in Two Sri Lankan Village Irrigation Systems

Abstract

"Throughout the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, tank irrigation systems make up the pre-dominant type of irrigation. Being highly dependant on runoff of drainage water from their catchment area, and hence on rainwater, they enable farmers who depend on those tanks to grow irrigated rice. As rainfall in the Dry Zone is mainly concentrated in season (September to January) and only a small amount of rain falls in yala seasion (March to July) mahi is much more important in terms of production and income."