Eng. (Ms.) Talatha Janaki Meegstenna

Personal Information

Brief Profile

Biodata – Eng. Talatha Janaki Meegastenna

Eng. Talatha Janaki Meegastenna is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 38 years of experience in water resources management, irrigation engineering, and climate resilience in Sri Lanka.

She served in the Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka from 1991 to 2022, retiring as the Additional Director General of Irrigation (Construction & Development). During her distinguished career, she held several key leadership positions including Director of Irrigation (Water Management, Drainage & Flood Systems, and Riverine Management), contributing extensively to national water infrastructure development, flood risk management, and irrigation system modernization. Also, Deputy Project Director WB funded CRIP and Cres MPA projects.

Currently, she serves as:

• Climate Change Specialist (Water & Irrigation) with the Asian Development Bank
• Lead Consultant at Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau (Pvt) Ltd
• Short-Term Consultant to the World Bank on Integrated Water Resources and Climate Resilience projects since 2024.

She has played a leading role in major national and international initiatives, including:

• Development of Integrated Climate Resilience Investment Plans (iCRIPs) and Investment Briefs (iCRIBs)
• Preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for flood management in major river basins (Malwathu Oya, Yan Oya, Mi Oya)
• Implementation and review of World Bank–funded climate resilience and watershed management projects
• Promotion of village tank cascade system (VTCS) rehabilitation and CRIWMP.

Her expertise spans:

• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
• Flood and drought risk management
• Reservoir operations and basin-level planning
• Climate change adaptation in water and agriculture sectors
• Institutional strengthening and stakeholder coordination

She holds an MSc in Water Resources Management from IHE Delft, Netherlands, and a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Moratuwa.

She is an active member of several professional bodies, including:

• Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) – Fellow member Engineer and Chairperson of the Water Forum
• International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) – Working Group Member WG – Climate, WG – ARSWG, WG- CDAT
• Sri Lanka National Committee on Large Dams (SLNCOLD)
• Lecture of UOR, Water and Lanscape MSc program

Eng. Meegastenna continues to contribute to policy dialogue, capacity building, and knowledge sharing in the water sector, with a strong focus on climate resilience, sustainability, and equitable water management.

Specialization

• Climate Change Impact & Adaptation
• Enhancing Water Use Efficiency and Productivity
• Financing Water management projects & Green Economy
• Flood Management
• Integrated Water Resources Management
• Irrigation - Development, design & Management
• On-Farm water Management
• Water harvesting techniques
• Water policy and planning