Story behind Sinharaja

Sarath Kotagama, first professor of ornithology in Sri Lanka, is one living witness behind the Sinharaja as a World Heritage Site. He recalled his experiences as far back as 1970s.

“The Government appointed a committee to probe whether this rainforest was appropriate to be designated conservation. The committee concluded that the scientific evidence is inadequate to make Sinharaja conservation. We had to prove Sinharaja’s value scientifically. It was the starting point of many challenges ahead.”

The Government was willing to provide all the facilities. But Sinharaja turned out versatile for scientists of many disciplines. The research was on the top gear and scientists stumbled upon many a rare feature in Sinharaja.

“One such discovery is magnet diversity. It was in fact news to the world. Your compass does not show directions properly because of the magnet diversity. And we further discovered that the forest is the habitat for many endemic flora and fauna. Finally we ended up with more than enough evidence to influence the Government to go ahead.”

The team worked day and night for months. Many university students were on the job. In the end it did not become just another conservation site; 1978 saw it being designated as International Man and Bio-Sphere Reserve, and Sinharaja reached its pinnacle when it was declared as UNESCO World Heritage site in 1989. Sinharaja is surrounded by 22 villages, and the residents used to take whatever they want from the forest.

With World Heritage site declaration, their opportunity became illegal. A World Heritage site might go unattended, and sometimes gets damaged by the natural force - man. Villagers alone can harm the forest. Professor Kotagama and his team had to take up this challenge too.

“We employed many youngsters from the village for many conservation tasks. We made them feel the priceless value of this asset.”

Shortcomings, however, were incessant. The World Heritage Site became more of a picnic for the average tourist than something to be preserved. They didn’t know – or may be didn’t care - the damage they do to the nature by littering. Not only the villagers, then, the whole mass had to be made aware of the value of this asset; something you can’t achieve overnight.

“We prepared an action plan on how to make people aware. Seminars work out a very little. People mug up what lecturers say, leave, and nothing happens afterwards. So we thought about giving them hands on experience. We thought it’s practical to start with school-goers.”

A team of scientists pulled out all the stops – once and for all – for a period when Bull dozer and Timber Jack were a common sight to the villagers – because Sinharaja was just another plot of land for commercial logging back then.