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The Healthy Landscapes project is rehabilitating and promoting the sustainable management of Village Tank Cascade Systems (VTCSs). Find out more about this ancient water management system below.

 

How dry is Sri Lanka’s dry zone?

Sri Lanka has two distinct monsoon seasons: the Maha season (September – March) and the Yala season (May – August). The country can be divided into three distinct zones based on the amount of rainfall received during these seasons:

  1. The wet zone, found in the southwest, receives an average annual rainfall of over 2,500 mm.
  2. The intermediate zones found in the eastern and central regions, receive between 1,750 mm and 2,500 mm.
  3. The dry zones, found in the south and northwest, receive less than 1,750 mm.

While relatively dry compared to the other two zones, Sri Lanka’s dry zone is certainly not as dry a desert-which receives only about 250 mm of rain per year!