Abstract:
The Jaffna peninsula is characterized by erratic rainfall and high evaporation rates
leading to unreliable water supply. The people of the Jaffna Peninsula have long recognised this need,
and have developed water supply facilities well suited to these conditions. Numerous shallow, lowyielding
wells distributed over large areas did not have the capacity to cause an imbalance of the
dynamic conditions maintaining the fresh water lens. In more recent years the increased demand for
water has led to pumping rates that have, in places, caused problems. An additional problem with the
widely distributed shallow well system is that the groundwater is vulnerable to pollution without
appropriate waste disposal arrangements. Therefore rainwater harvesting (RWH) and management
offers an opportunity to mitigate present and future water demand in the Jaffna Peninsula. Rainfall
data of the Jaffna Peninsula from 1941 to 1990 was analysed to prepare guidance on use of rainwater
tanks. This paper presents rainwater harvesting guidelines for the Jaffna Peninsula.
