World Heritage Identification Number: 405
World Heritage since: 1988
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Sinharaja Forest Reserve: A Biodiverse Haven in Southwestern Sri Lanka
The Sinharaja Forest Reserve, located in the southwestern region of Sri Lanka, stands as a testament to the island nation's rich biodiversity. Established in 1978, this protected area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, recognizing its global significance.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ix): Sinharaja is the last remaining relatively undisturbed remnant of tropical humid evergreen forest in Sri Lanka. The property’s flora is a relic of Gondwanaland and provides an important component to our scientific understanding of continental drift and an outstanding site for the study of the processes of biological evolution. A geological feature of considerable interest is the presence of the Sinharaja basic zone, with the reserve located within the transition zone of two important rock types characteristic of Sri Lanka; the south-western group and the highland group.
Criterion (x): Endemism within the property is extremely high. Protecting the last viable remnant of Sri Lanka’s tropical lowland rainforest, Sinharaja is home to at least 139 endemic plant species within two main types of forest: remnants of Dipterocarpus in the valleys and on the lower slopes, and secondary forest and scrub where the original forest cover has been removed. Sixteen of the endemic plant species within the property are considered rare, including endemic palms Loxococcus rupicola and Atalantia rotundifolia. Faunal endemism is also high, particularly for mammals, birds and butterflies, exceeding 50%. Nineteen (95%) of Sri Lanka’s 20 endemic birds are present in the property, which is also home to leopard and Indian elephant, both of which are threatened species.
Encyclopedia Record: Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Additional Site Details
Area: 8,864 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: 6.416666667 , 80.5
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Sinharaja Forest Reserve reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
