Groundwater mapping and locally engaged water governance in a small island terrain: Case study of Karainagar island, Northern Sri Lanka

Abstract

Groundwater is a vital resource under threat in island communities. Karainagar, a 22 km2 island, is one of seven islands off the coast of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka, with its population of just about 11,000 persons, experiences seasonal water shortage, and salinity in groundwater as twin threats impacting on their lives. This paper reports on a 3‐year study (October 2019 to September 2022) to map groundwater dynamics of Karainagar island spatially and seasonally and discusses the patterns revealed in terms of community needs, policy implications, and governance ideas that could already be considered by relevant authorities and citizens jointly. Thirty‐six dug wells used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and public purposes were selected, and water level, salinity, and pH changes recorded along with daily rainfall. This paper offers a thorough description of the geography, land use, distribution of wells, and water bodies, followed by discussion of the current status of the groundwater in Karainagar island. Year‐to‐year differences in rainfall pattern resulted in different rates of change and range in water level with a corresponding reverse pattern seen in salinity with some exceptions across the island. Cumulative rainfall required to reach full capacity of wells ranged from 652 to 892 mm over the 3 years with an average figure of 739 mm of rain. This implies that any further rainfall during early phase of the main rainy season is potential surface water for storage and runoff. Practices such as unregulated pumping and construction of tube wells are argued to be contributing to increase in salinity levels with health implications for residents. A participatory governance approach that overcomes limitations of the existing institutional approach is proposed. Its success based on broad stakeholder engagement, improved equity, and transparency when supported by adequate policies and village level aquifer monitoring will enable sustainability of groundwater resources in Karainagar.

Water quality in Northern Province of Sri Lanka: A bibliometric analysis of publications 1960–2021

“…Therefore, the possibility of prolonged agrochemical contamination, nitrate in drinking water in particular, would likely remain as a hotspot in water research in the feature. Likewise, rising concerns for salinity in drinking water, particularly in coastal areas, sewerage‐derived microbial contamination of groundwater and the impact of both on human health will also continue to be research hotspots in the NP (Karthiga et al, 2023).…”

Review of adaptive governance (AG) research in small islands: Critical dimensions and future directions

“…For example, the mapping the dynamics of a shared resource (e.g. groundwater in the case of Karthiga, et al, 2023) could be a rst step in the whole iterative process of participatory future-thinking and it should be collaborative, evidence-based, and context-sensitive to strongly in uence stakeholder behavior and decision-making.…”