SRI LANKA

In Sri Lanka, water isn’t just a resource. It’s something the country has been working with, adapting to, and relying on for centuries. Across the island, rivers, streams, and man-made lakes – called “tanks” – are part of an old system built to hold onto rain during the wet season. The earliest of these reservoirs were built around 300 BCE. They weren’t just advanced for their time. They’re still working today: a clear case of long-term thinking.

These tanks serve multiple purposes. They irrigate farmland, supply drinking water to people and animals during the hot dry seasons, and help keep ecosystems in balance. As you move through the country, you start to notice how many parts of daily life are tied to them.

Many of the tanks are located in national parks like Wilpattu or Gal Oya. In the dry season, they attract wildlife. Elephants, leopards, birds. I hoped to get a glimpse of  that, camera ready, but the timing didn’t work out. It should have been the beginning of dry season but as it was still raining a bit due to climate change, the forest was still green and full of water. The animals had no need to get out of the jungle and expose themselves. 

Further inland, water plays a role in architecture. Sigiriya – better known as Lion Rock – is a huge stone that rises out of flat land. It’s best known for the palace ruins at the top dating back to the 5th century, but the water gardens below are just as impressive. Small canals and fountains still work today, channeling rainwater that runs off the rock. They sure knew their hydraulics. 

You see the impact of water in the many food stalls along the road too. Stall after stall is filled with vegetables, fruits, and fish – most of it grown or caught using water systems that have been in place for generations. When I visited local farmers, they presented their produce with pride. One of them, T.W.M. Sudubanda, showed off his huge purple sweet potatoes. Those I recognized, but some fruits were new to me. Like the Indian gooseberry, known for its high vitamin C content. It delivered an extremely sour kick, the kind that makes your whole mouth tighten up. Afterward, his wife handed me a glass of water, and because of the sour berry, it tasted sweet like sugar. The fruit wasn’t exactly my favorite, but the moment itself – being shown around, tasting what they grow – stayed with me more than the flavor ever could.

In the highlands, water shows up in other ways. It runs through the hills, feeds waterfalls and tea plantations. The climate is cooler, and the pace of life feels slower. At Amba Estate, an organic tea farm, I walked through the tea bushes, surrounded by cinnamon trees, and once again realized how far removed I usually am from nature. Traveling often brings that up. I rarely think about where my food comes from, or what it takes to grow and produce it. A walk with a Vedda chief – the indigenous people of Sri Lanka – added to that awareness. He showed me plants his tribe use as medicine. And toothpaste and shampoo made from tree bark and sap. Everything was chopped or crushed with the axe he carried over his shoulder, passed down from father to son for generations.

The fertile land doesn’t just support farming. It also attracts animals. Wild boars, peacocks, and elephants often damage crops. To protect their harvest, many farmers sleep in simple tree huts above their fields. One early morning, while the sun was rising, H.M. Mahabanda showed me how he prepares his betel – a nut you crush and suck on to stay awake through the night. Like a stimulant, like tobacco. I noticed a large wound on his chest and assumed it came from a nighttime encounter with a wild animal. But no, he had stepped in between two of his own fighting buffalo and took a horn to the ribs. He laughed about it, still preparing his betel so he could guard his fields during the night. The nut stains your mouth bloody red which looks strange at first. Over time, it can cause serious dental problems, but it keeps them going. And despite that, their lifestyle – growing their own food, eating fresh like I experienced during a jungle cooking class – is probably healthier than most of us in the Western world with our processed foods. 

Throughout history, people all over the planet have shaped their landscapes to manage water. Whether it’s the oases of Iran, where every drop is stored to survive the desert, or the polders of the Netherlands, where dikes hold back the sea and pumps manage water levels below it – every culture has its own approach. Sri Lanka’s version is just as practical. It’s rooted in history, and still works.

March 2025