Restoring Agriculture in Sri Lanka

At one time, farming communities in Sri Lanka’s northeast region were among the most productive in the country.  But 20 years of civil conflict forced a large number of families to flee their lands, causing the social and economic fabric of the countryside to fall apart.

The North East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEIAP), backed by $27 million from the World Bank, has enabled farmers to return to their fields and increase the amount of irrigated land by 2,900 hectares—benefiting about 4,700 families. 

The project has supported the rehabilitation of 61 kilometers of roads and has provided 225 wells brimming with clean drinking water.  More than 100,000 poor people are expected to benefit from the project by the time of its completion in 2005.

 

Updated: September 2002