Understanding Water Policy in Sri Lanka

Over the past decades, South Asian countries have made notable progress in the water sector through regional cooperation, technological innovation, and targeted investments. Building on this momentum, this session will examine the evolution of Sri Lanka’s National Water Policy within the broader framework of global environmental and climate commitments.

The discussion will focus on how international frameworks are translated into practical measures across key sectors, while addressing the critical interface between policy formulation and on-ground implementation. Key challenges such as governance gaps, regulatory enforcement, and multi-level stakeholder engagement will be explored, alongside reflections on the current policy’s limitations. Panelists will also highlight proposed reforms to strengthen Sri Lanka’s water governance in alignment with sustainable development and climate resilience objectives.

This is the third webinar in our series Understanding Water Policy in South Asian Countries, and this will focus on Sri Lanka.

Development practitioners and policy makers, urban planners, government officials, utility professionals, academicians and researchers

• Deeper understanding of Sri Lanka’s national approaches to water policy
• Insights into the intersection of policy, law and industry in water governance
• Best practices for strengthening domestic water governance frameworks