Lal Muthuwatta
Researcher - Hydrology-Hydrological Modelling, Deputy Country Manager - Sri Lanka, CGIAR Country Convener - Sri Lanka
Areas of expertise
Groundwater Modeling Climate Water resources allocation Geographic Information Systems (GIS) remote sensingLal worked at the Open University of Sri Lanka and the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka as an Academic Staff Member from 1991 to 1993. He was involved with teaching mathematics and numerical modeling courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a GIS Expert at the Malaria Research Institute attached to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. From 1995 to 1996, Lal was a Visiting Academic at the University of Colombo and the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. During that period, he was involved with helping research students on spatial modeling.
Current projects
Latest news for Lal Muthuwatta
November-December 2025 Research Journal Roundup
Roundup of research, journal and other academic articles from November and December 2025 ...
Effective groundwater management in Jaffna depends on cross-sector collaboration
IWMI project brings together officials, researchers and communities to protect groundwater in Sri Lanka’s northern peninsula ...
Can science and community save Jaffna’s groundwater?
From classrooms to wells, northern Sri Lanka’s communities are turning data into action, racing to save the groundwater that has sustained generations ...
IWMI and IUCN explore solutions to Sri Lanka’s environmental challenges
Joint symposium brings together science, policy and community action to protect Sri Lanka's most at-risk biodiversity and water systems ...
A collaborative approach strengthens Sri Lanka’s groundwater conservation
UK's Minister for Indo-Pacific launches citizen science element of Jaffna groundwater project ...
IWMI Director General meets Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister to strengthen partnership on water management and sustainable development
Smith reinforced IWMI’s shared mission of building long-term resilience in Sri Lanka’s water resources ...
Jaffna’s groundwater crisis requires a collaborative pathway to sustainable water management
IWMI and local partners are developing an intervention which centers climate resilience to safeguard groundwater in Jaffna in Sri Lanka's Northern Province ...
IWMI hydrologist recognized with President’s Award
Lal Muthuwatta, hydrologist and mathematical modeler at IWMI, received the President's award for a journal article on his research in a river basin in Iran ...
Latest publications by Lal Muthuwatta
Book Chapter
Water Governance Challenges for Climate Change Adaptation in the Major and Medium Irrigation Sector
Springer | January 30th, 2026
Journal Article
Variability of Rainfall and the Cropping Season of a Tropical Dry Zone River Basin: A Case Study in the Malwathu Oya River Basin in Sri Lanka
Wiley | December, 2025
Journal Article
Suitability of paddy cultivation in the Western province of Sri Lanka under different climate change scenarios
Public Library of Science | November 27th, 2025
