Sri Lanka Should Ban Exporting Water
Posted on April 9th, 2026
Dilrook Kannangara
Sri Lanka is facing a water crisis again. This is driven by overcrowding of cities and towns in the western province and the waste of water in the central province. There are no short-term solutions to this structural problem which is set to worsen with rising global temperatures, erratic weather patterns and further overcrowding.
As the first step, Sri Lanka must impose a total ban on exporting water.
Extracting water in large scale for export is an environmentally disastrous industry. It is not suitable for Sri Lanka. Locals’ water needs must be met as a matter of priority.
New laws should be introduced to restrict the construction of multi-level apartments and a new tax on them should be imposed. They are notorious for high water consumption and storage.
Natural water storage bodies should be cleaned and their banks should be protected while water pollution should carry heavy penalties.
Availability of fresh water can no longer be taken for granted.