Abstract
The village tank cascade systems are identified as an important invention of the hydraulic civilization of Sri Lanka. Water productivity is a widely used indicator to measure the performance of these types of systems. A combination of agronomic and socioeconomic factors acts as key elements influencing water productivity in paddy cultivation and its variation. The current study focused on variations and determinants of the upstream and downstream water productivity of a cascade. The study was carried out as a comparative study investigating how the factors affect upstream and downstream water productivity in paddy cultivation separately in the Ulagalla tank cascade system in dry zone Sri Lanka during the Maha and Yala seasons over the years 2019-2021. The study revealed water productivity in paddy cultivation of the upstream and the downstream Ulagalla tank cascade was at satisfactory levels with reference to global standards. Wildlife conflicts, previous crop losses due to natural disasters, and length of the field canal displayed significant, negative relationships with paddy water productivity. Farm size, command area, activities of farmer organization, water head, and availability of lining in the field canal displayed significant, positive relationships with water productivity in paddy cultivation.
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