Goods and Services Provided by the System
- The tanks provided water for irrigation, heating, and created a favorable microclimate for biodiversity.
- Additionally, the tanks served as a shared bathing place for villagers.
- Their construction reflected the Buddhist belief in equal rights for all living beings regarding natural resources.
- Tank irrigation systems played a crucial role in the social organization and cultural traditions of Sri Lanka's dry-zone.
- These systems encouraged decentralized water governance, with villages often named after the village tank.
- While large historical reservoirs in the lowlands relied on centralized state bureaucracy and collapsed with the states, village tanks survived because they were constructed, managed, and maintained by the villagers themselves.
- The independent nature of village tanks contributed to the freedom of thinking, as evidenced by historical instances where the state's authority was challenged by common opinion.
- Understanding this unique and sustainable way of life is important, not only from scientific, economic, and ecological perspectives, but also from a historical and cultural standpoint.