Sameera Dilshan, a commando in an elite Sri Lankan police unit, has been tasked with a unique mission – to reclaim farms affected by salt contamination, a problem exacerbated by climate change.
The increasing salinity levels are gradually engulfing traditional rice fields along the country’s coast, depriving generations of farmers of their livelihood.
Located two hours south of Colombo, Katukurunda serves as one of the bases for the Special Task Force (STF), established forty years ago to combat Tamil rebels.
While his colleagues focus on riot control training in the sweltering heat near the Indian Ocean, the 35-year-old non-commissioned officer leads a team of “commando-farmers” in cultivating coconut palms, various fruits, and vegetables in a paddy that was declared unusable due to saltwater contamination four decades ago.
The initiative, known as sorjan, involves techniques similar to those employed in Thailand and Indonesia, reshaping flood-prone land by creating ponds for rice cultivation and fish farming, along with planting more salt-tolerant coconut trees.
“This plantation was established in 2022 as part of a government program to enhance food security,” Dilshan explained, noting that local authorities allocated land parcels for the project.
According to Buddhi Marambe from the University of Peradeniya, the sorjan method is an efficient and climate-resilient approach that optimizes land usage, boosts productivity, and increases farmers’ income.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighted in a 2024 report that saltwater from seas and oceans affects 10.7% of the Earth’s land, rendering it uncultivable in some instances.
Climate change-induced factors such as soil drying, reduced water resources, and rising sea levels are projected to elevate the proportion of saline-affected land from 24% to 32% of the world’s surface area by the end of the century, as per FAO predictions.
In Sri Lanka, approximately 223,000 hectares, including half of the rice paddies, are impacted by salinity, representing nearly 8% of the country’s total arable land, according to Marambe.
Down south from the pilot plantation is the village of Parappuwa, surrounded by abandoned lands due to salt contamination.
Residents like Gamini Piyal Wijesinghe and W.D. Jayaratne have witnessed the detrimental effects of salinity on their farmlands, leading to decreased income and agricultural challenges.
Local authorities in Kalutara district are offering abandoned lands to farmers for cultivation, predominantly with coconut trees, to revive agricultural activities and generate income.
Encouraged by the success of the STF’s farming project, farmer Aruna Priyankara Perera has embarked on a similar endeavor on his property, cultivating coconut and pumpkin fields.
Rice, a staple crop in Sri Lanka, remains a top priority for authorities, with ongoing efforts to develop salt-resistant rice varieties to combat salinity issues.
The country’s food security is at risk due to saltwater contamination, as evidenced by the decline in rice harvests and farmers’ income.
To safeguard the future of agriculture in Sri Lanka, collective efforts are essential to reclaim salt-affected lands and restore productivity, emphasizing the importance of sustainable farming practices and innovation.
(This article is unaltered from its original version and has been republished from a syndicated feed.)
