Control of Malaria Mosquito Breeding through Irrigation Water Management

In the dry zone of Sri Lanka, an interdisciplinary study was conducted to evaluate the effects of irrigation water releases on malaria mosquito breeding and to identify different water management options for vector control. The relationship between abundance of larvae of the vector, Anopheles culicifacies (An. culicifacies), and the water level in a stream was described mathematically.An inverse function was derived and incorporated into a water balance model developed for the area. The larval abundance was quantified under different irrigation and water management scenarios. The result demonstrates potential for effective vector control by feasible changes in irrigation management.