Abstract:
Climate change is a global phenomenon affecting the entire
planet, including Sri Lanka. The Northern Province of Sri Lanka is
particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,
especially regarding water resources. Public awareness of climate
change and its impact on water resources is crucial for sustainable
water management practices in the study area. In this context, this
study attempted to analyze public perception of the climate
change impact on the water resources of Northern Sri Lanka.
There are different groups of water users in the study area. They
were stratified as agriculture water users, industrial water users,
fishing water users and domestic and drinking water users.
Accordingly, a questionnaire survey was conducted using a
stratified sampling method to identify consumer perceptions, and
the collected data were analyzed using the SPSS tool. 87% of the
consumers believe that climate change has a significant impact on
water resources, and 50% of the people expressed vulnerability of
the agriculture sector to the climate change impact on water
resources. Water scarcity during the yala season became a crucial
threat to paddy cultivation in the study area. Other kind of water
users such as industrial water users, fishing water users and
drinking and domestic water users face difficulties in obtaining
water resources for their needs during the SWMS and FIMS.
Furthermore, drinking and domestic water users mentioned that
they face water quality issues especially during July, August and
September. During the southwest monsoon season, water users
face difficulties in obtaining water for their domestic needs due to
water scarcity. Majority of the water users know about climate
change, but many of them don’t know how climate change affects
their water sources. Water suppliers should implement special
projects regarding climate change impacts on water resources in
the study area. This will lead the water users to use water
efficiently and protect the water sources sustainably.
