UMCSAWMUNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management Presentation by chairman of the Center

Prof Sohan WijesekeraAt the Opening of the New Building Donated by Late Shri Madanjeet Singh22 April 2013

Presentation by chairman of the CenterProf Sohan WijesekeraAt the Opening of the New Building Donated by Late Shri Madanjeet Singh22 April 2013

Water on Earth

Fresh Water 3%

97 % Saline

Fresh Water 3%

Saline(Oceans)97% Ice Cap

Glaciers

Groundwater Rivers

Swamps

Fresh Water

Lakes

Fresh Surface Water

FreshWater

FreshSurface

Water

Water

Diminished Supplies of Fresh water might prove a far more serious problem than slowly rising seas

New York Times of October 21, 2007

Professor Steven Chu, Co-winner of Nobel Prize for Physics (1997) and

Incumbent United States Secretary of Energy

Water is Important

Emphasis on the Urgent need to Manage our water resources

• Population increase,• Prolonged Life on Earth

• Resources Utilisation• Climate change • Disasters • Food Shortages

1. Emerging culture of independent states2. Desires for accelerated economic

development, and 3. Tendency towards urbanisation

Lead to Water Transfer issues either “Storage” or “Drainage”

Water Projects are becoming “Politically and Environmentally” Contentious in most parts of the

world

• Better Water Conservation, • Better Control, • Better Demand Management, • Better Quality Assurance, • Better Utilisation of Alternatives• Better Source Area protection etc.

Therefore it is a Dire Necessity

• Canal and Reservoir Safety• Unknown Reservoir Capacities• Poor River Gauging • Lack of Source Area Protection• Reservoir Safety and Design Criteria• Culvert and Bride Design Limitations• Biodiversity and Food Chain Issues• Soil and Water Pollution• Land cover removal issues• Urban Flooding

Water is usually taken for Granted

• Irrigation and Water Resources - Irrigation and Mahaweli• Hydropower , Thermal – Power and Energy• Source area and water quality, waste disposal – Water

Supply and Drainage• Flooding of Cultivations, Dwellings, Roads – Urban

Authorities, Housing and Road Building• Canals and Rivers, Fisheries and Cargo – Transport,

Coast Conservation, Ports, Fishery Harbours• Environmental Impacts, Mitigation, Bio Diversity –

Environmental Authorities, Economic Development• Soil Erosion, Land Slides, Siltation – Disaster Mitigation

Water Management is Multi Sectoral

For the sake ofPeace, Harmony and Good Health

• Focused Research Agenda and • Strong Capacity Building Effort

We Require a

The MCSAWM is intended to support the Global and Regional requirements in Water Engineering and Management.

The Vision

To be a premier center of knowledge and outreach focused on sustainable water management in urban and rural environments

The Mission

To promote techniques, technologies, management approaches and policy that support sustainable utilisation of water

Initial Discussions 2003

•Hon (Late) Laxman Kadirgarmar •Prof DS Wijeyesekera•Prof Malik Ranasinghe•Prof Sohan Wijesekera

Signing of MoU with the South Asia Foundation - 2010

•(Late) Shri Madanjeet Singh•Prof Malik Ranasinghe

(Late) Shri Madanjeet SinghUNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

US$ 500,000 from Personal Funds to Collaboratively Fund the UMCSAWM Building

South Asia Foundation (SAF)

US$ 100,000 per year for 5 Years for Course Development and Regional Scholarships

A secular, non-profit and non-political organization, comprising eight autonomous chapters: Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

UMCSAWM is in Sri Lanka

•Distribution of Centers considering the Strengths of Each Nation

•Sri Lanka – Water Engineering and Management

UMCSAWM is at University of Moratuwa

Hon Kadirgamar selected University of Moratuwa for its Reputation in Water Engineering and Management

University Status Since 1972, the Most Favoured University in Sri Lanka for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies

UMCSAWM is at the Department of Civil Engineering

• Long History of Water Engineering Education at Postgraduate Level

• Pioneered Water Postgraduate Degree Program in Water – 1981

UMCSAWM is at the Department of Civil Engineering

• Qualified and Experienced Academic Staff with Very Strong Research Profile

• Qualified and Experienced Academic Staff with Very Strong Research Profile

Water Resources EngineeringMathematical Modelling in Hydrology, Rainfall-Runoff ModellingDrought Mitigation Irrigation Engineering and DrainageGIS , GPS and Remote sensing ApplicationsCoastal Structures (Hydraulics of wave/structure interaction)Coastal Engineering and Coastal Zone ManagementNumerical Modelling in Coastal ZoneRenewable EnergyFlood Frequency StudiesStatistical Methods in HydrologyGroundwater Engineering and ModellingWater Supply and Source Area ProtectionWater Quality and Environmental AssessmentsRiver Basin Planning and Watershed ManagementIntegrated Water Resources ManagementWeb and open source mapping for water and environmental resource management

UMCSAWM is at the Department of Civil Engineering

State of the Art Experimental and Computational facilities and Competent

Support Staff

UMCSAWM and the Postgraduate Degree Program

• Center Chairman and Overall Program Director – Prof Sohan Wijesekera

• Post Graduate Programmes which is a collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering is scheduled to commence in July 2013

• Expected Foreign Students – 8 Students • Course Coordinator – Dr. Lalith Rajapakse

The Opening of the Building

A Reality Today

Main ContributorsProf. Ananda Jayawardena

Vice Chancellor

, Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike KumaratungaPresident of SAF.

Madame France Marquet, SAF Trustee

SAF Representatives Prof Uma Coomaraswamy, Ms Swinitha Perera

and Mr. Prabhakaran

Prof Anura Nanayakkara, Head Department of Civil Engineering,

Dr. Lalith Rajapakse, Course Coordinator of the Postgraduate Degree Programme

SignificantContributions

Project Manager and StaffProject Manager, State Engineering

Corporation and Staff, Maintenance Engineer, and Staff

Bursar and Staff, Registrar , SAR Capital Works and Staff,

Dept of Civil Engineering , Academic and Non Academic Staff

Land Scape Sub Contractor and Staff Staff of other Faculties and

DepartmentsAnd Numerous other Well-wishers

End of Presentation