Author: Rajapaksa Wadanahaluge Karunapala
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no. HS-94-25
Year: 1994
Academic Program: Human Settlement (HS)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 1993
Examination Committee: B.W.E. Wickramanayake (Chairperson); Govind Kelkar, Ragnhild Lund (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: The Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme was commenced in 1979, aiming to find a solution to the problem of unemployment, production of hydropower for industries and rural electrification and to achieve multiple goals of increasing agricultural production of the country. However, short-term benefits which derives from new irrigation and land settlements, have not successfully exhibited achievements of its objectives. Many second generation problems of settlements are now becoming apparent increasingly in every settlement scheme. It is well known that the children’s of original settlers are facing difficulties with the existing scarce land resources and rising population pressure within the irrigated settlement schemes has further aggravated management of scarce resources such as land. The current study was undertaken specially to understand what has happened to the second generation of Hahaweli irrigation settlements and to identify their problems and impact on land and other resources. The major problem is to find out their socio-economic background in terms of selected socio-economic criteria with reference to System C project, Zone two area in Sri Lanka, which was started nearly 1.5 decades ago. The main findings of this study are that there has been many problems they faced. Many of them now face on lack of land, low income and under- and unemployment. Their lack of non-farm earnings has led them indebtedness. Some problems differed according to typology of them. Their existing problems go beyond the many objectives of land settlement. Unemployment, lack of non-farm employment opportunities, low income and lack of land shows need for improving their socio-economic condition particularly, through farmer or non-governmental organizations.
Scholarship Donor(s): Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); Asian Institute of Technology-Canadian Universities Consortium Partnership Project
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science
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