The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the last primary rainforest in Sri Lanka, and has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve and declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

However, this rainforest is now in grave danger. Since early August 2020, the Government of Sri Lanka has started the widening of a road going through Sinharaja rainforest connecting a small village (Lankagama) located in its buffer zone to the town of Deniyaya.

In 2013 this road was first illegally constructed and halted after objections made by UNESCO. The Government now plans to widen this illegally constructed road to a 15 to 20 feet concrete road, for a bus to be able to travel. Constructions are carried out by the Engineering Arm of the Sri Lankan Army.

Whilst construction of certain roads such as the Lankagama to Neluwa road is inarguably vital for the village to access better facilities, the construction of the road from Lankagama to Deniyaya will pose numerous threats as it cuts through a 1.1 kilometre stretch of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Constructing a ‘connecting road’ through a rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage site is not only unacceptable but is also a crime against nature which will pose numerous threats to the rich biodiversity of Sinharaja—which is home to over 60 per cent of the country’s endemic flora and fauna. The rainforest was designated as a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988 and is home to three elephants. This southern sector of Sinharaja rainforest contains the highest number of waterfalls and the last remaining patch of riverine rainforest bordering Gin Ganga river. 

According to IUCN’s Conservation Outlook Assessment (2017) the conservation status of Sinharaja Forest Reserve is of ‘significant concern’. The IUCN report notes that “the value of Sinharaja as a natural World Heritage Site continues to be recognized by the discovery of several endemic species of plants and animals since the declaration of this forest as a world heritage in 1988. Some of the recent discoveries include several species of Herpetofauna that are restricted to the Eastern region of Sinharaja”.

Initially, the road construction was carried out with no prior approvals from any relevant Sri Lankan authorities. Following an online petition and complaints sent to UNESCO on18 August 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered the project to be temporarily halted.

Since then, multiple journalists, environmentalists and concerned citizens have tried to visit the site but villagers have blocked access to the site and has not allowed anyone to enter while the road was being constructed.

On 30 August 2020, the President visited the site and decided to continue the road construction from Lankagama to Deniyaya. He has instructed the military to complete the project within 90 days. The President’s decision is not only shocking, but disappointing since such a decision can adversely impact the entire country as well as the world at large.

Following are the threats posed to Sinharaja rainforest through the construction of the Lankagama to Deniyaya road:

1. A connecting road will result in highly urbanizing the area. This will increase developments such as hotels and shops.
2.  Urbanization of the area will also increase human population, which will increase encroachment and land grabbing. Villagers have already encroached Sinharaja’s unofficial buffer zone while large plots of lands have been deforested and used for tea cultivation.
3. Human - Wild Animal conflicts will increase. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is home 60% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species.
4. Increase of poaching, bush meat trade, illegal logging and gem mining within the rainforest.
5. Increase of bio theft and bio piracy.
6. Increase of landslides and other extreme weather events.
7. Contributes to the water crisis.

During a time where there is a global interest in preventing climate change and preserving pristine ecosystems, the Government of Sri Lanka should focus on ‘sustainable development’ over mere infrastructure development. Certain media outlets and politically motivated parties are attempting to discredit Sri Lankan environmentalists for obstructing development when in reality, they along with nature-loving citizens are simple requesting the Government to follow due process. If an Environmental Impact Assessment is conducted, the potential threats can be identified and action can be taken to mitigate them.

However, this unsustainable development will destroy one of Sri Lanka’s most prized natural resources and eco systems and will create more problems in the future which will have to be solved by spending public tax money.

Please add your signature to urge UNESCO to protect this world heritage site, as well as to demand the Government of Sri Lanka to follow due process by consulting experts.