Importance of Women’s Indigenous Knowledge of Water Conservation and Management in Sri Lanka

Abstract

AbstractIndigenous knowledge held by women are different from men due to their daily roles, interests, and experiences. Despite their perspective, knowledge help by women is seldom integrated into the decision-making process. In the present study, elderly village women from Sri Lanka are enquired about the value of water to them, the local practices for use, storage and conservation, and the loss of indigenous knowledge. The findings of the study demonstrate the importance of water as perceived by these women when they relate water to life. The elderly respondents identify several local water use and conservation practices including recycling the wastewater to water the plants and for cleaning up soot from used pans and pots. However, the elderly village women unanimously stated that indigenous and local water knowledge and practices are declining rapidly since households get piped water supply and people do not have any more motivation and need to save water compared to previous times. Hence, the local practices that were adopted to save water are no more practiced leading to loss of knowledge. The study demonstrates the gap in integration of indigenous knowledge while planning for piped water supply to households. In case of any future disruption in supply, the local people will be in despair as they do not hold the indigenous knowledge anymore. The current study highlights the importance of integrating indigenous water knowledge held by village women into the decision-making process for future water sustainability.KeywordsWater knowledgeGendered approachIndigenous knowledgeLocal water practicesWater reuseSri Lanka