Dr. Luminda Gunawardhana delivered the keynote address at the World Rivers Day 2025 celebration organized by the Riverine Management Branch of the Irrigation Department. The event was held on 9th October 2025 at the Irrigation Department Main Auditorium, Colombo.
His keynote, titled “Rivers in a Changing Climate: Harnessing Remote Sensing and Machine Learning for Sustainable Water Management,” highlighted the escalating challenges faced by river basins under climate change. Dr. Gunawardhana emphasized rising hydrological variability, more frequent extreme events, the importance of remote sensing in addressing data gaps, and the growing role of machine learning and integrated hydrological modelling in supporting evidence-based water resources planning.
The event was attended by key officials, including Dr. (Eng.) Kithsiri Weligepolage, Additional Director General of Irrigation; Eng. Ajith Gunasekara, Director General of Irrigation; and Eng. Y.M.N.U. Buddhika, Director of Irrigation – Riverine Management, along with over 100 engineers and engineering assistants.
Dr. Gunawardhana’s address underscored the need to blend advanced technologies with robust modelling tools to ensure sustainable river basin management in an era of rapid environmental change.