“Cascades give me hope for the future. A single tank is a breathtaking infrastructure that provides for the ecosystem. In the past, there was a tank for elephants and birds and wildlife, rice paddies, baths for enjoyment, and drinking and household use… This affirms that our survival and climate resilience will come from Indigenous knowledge, from returning to what people before us already knew, and repairing broken systems with indigenous values of social and ecological integration.”
Philip Chin, PACOS Trust
This September, Janathakshan, a Sri Lankan organization dedicated to restoring traditional water systems, organized a knowledge exchange visit attended by Geo Corneby, our Asia Program Director, along with partner organizations SIBAT, TONIBUNG, and PACOS Trust. The group visited restoration sites in Giribawa and Nochchiyagama, where they observed Ellanga or cascade systems, a network of interconnected reservoirs built over 2,000 years ago to sustain ecosystems, agriculture, and communities.
After centuries of disruption, local farmers organizations are leading the careful restoration of these systems, drawing on traditional ecological knowledge and integrating climate-smart practices with guidance from supporting organizations.
“When we arrived at project sites, we were always welcomed by the farmers organization or the women’s society that took charge of their project… They told us about Shramadan, a traditional practice of people providing voluntary communal labor, mobilized to support tank construction… This turned restoration work into a learning process, strengthening technical capacity and confidence at the village level.”
Jey Mart Erasquin and Edward Rosario, SIBAT
The project also integrates climate-smart agriculture and women-led enterprises alongside cascade restoration. Women’s groups shared how taking ownership of these projects has strengthened family unity, challenged traditional gender norms, and built bonds of sisterhood. Beyond increased income, they spoke of skills gained, aspirations for the future, and pride in taking charge of their own initiatives.
“Technology can be learned anywhere, but what we witnessed here—the trust, transparency, and participation—that’s what truly sustains a project.”
Junaidi Jurim, TONIBUNG
Green Empowerment is honored to support Janathakshan, with its commitment to participatory approaches, local leadership, and collaboration with government partners, in helping communities restore resilient water systems that combine ancient wisdom with practical climate solutions.
A heartfelt thank you to Janathakshan for organizing this meaningful learning experience, and to our funding partners, the Paul Liebman Family Foundation and the Christadelphian Meal-a-Day Asia Pacific Ltd., for supporting this vital work.
Janathakshan (meaning “people’s technology” originating from Sanskrit) is a not-for-profit company based in Sri Lanka, committed to deliver innovative solutions to drive the Sustainable Development Goals. Janathakshan was established in 2011 as the legacy organization of Practical Action, an international NGO (iNGO) using technology to challenge poverty across the world that has worked in Sri Lanka and South Asia for over 25 years.
Amazing! Love it!
Very inspiring!