Water,Food commodity, and psychological development are the main pillars of our ancient society and these are some of the ideal examples for sustainable natural resource management system in the world.

One of the most striking features in Polonnaruwa is the vast Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parakramabahu), an irrigation tank built, as the name indicates by King Parakramabahu the Great.

The great artificial lake is at once an expression, a statement of imperial power & monumental feet of engineering: irrigation of 18,000 acres of paddy fields for two seasons a year, a line of defence along the entire west flank of the city against the marauding Dravidian invasions from South India & cooling breeze to the citizens. The great reservoir was named after its imperial designer.

“In my Kingdom are many rain fed paddy fields, but few indeed are those which are cultivated by means of perennial streams and great Tanks.By rocks, and by many thick forests, by great marshes are the land covers. In such a kingdom, let not even a small quantity of water obtained by rain, go to the sea, without benefiting the human.Paddy fields should be formed in every place, excluding only that produce gem, gold and other precious things.It does not become persons in our situation to live enjoying our own ease and unmindful of the interest of the people, and you all, be not discouraged, when a necessary, but a difficult work is on hand. Regard it not indeed as a work difficulty, but following my advice accomplish it without opposing my instructions”