Although the local people may not entirely rely on the forest as much now as they once would have, they none the less have the right to use the forest resources as they see fit in order for them to survive. However sustainable use is a key factor in any rainforest today and Sinharaja is of no exception and the vast majority of local people from the area would completely agree.

Ecotourism is an approach to encourage tourists to visit an area of both natural beauty and ecological importance on the grounds that they pay for the experience. But is this money really put into the preservation of the area? Its species and its local people? What if those attempts to preserve an area by encouraging tourism are actually causes degeneration in that area! Wouldn’t this be somewhat contradicting?

Worryingly it has been brought to our attention that, regardless of this prohibition, construction of a hotel has been ongoing for some time (approximately one year) in the Ensalwatte Tea Estate, Viharahena near the TV transmission tower of Deniyaya. As a result of the hotel construction, the forest is being felled and this is indeed happening within the 1.6km prohibition zone.

Which is protected under World Heritage mandate.

Furthermore it has been brought to our attention that a tributory of a local river close to the construction site has been recently dammed. The water from the newly dammed river will act as a source of drinking water for the hotel residence. We would like to be made aware of the evaluations that must have been undertaken prior to the damming. As we understand it the tributory to the river has been completely dammed and therefore many species have been displaced as a result. Conservation organisations, who are providing funds for management plans and programmes must have been properly evaluated and approved beforehand.

If so:

Why has the river and so many species been affected?

Who undertook the evaluation beforehand the construction of the hotel? And who is funding it?

The problem is that the construction of this hotel is being backed by the ‘eco-tourism’ bandwagon and sadly, as yet, concerned local people are not seeing the benefits of the eco-tourism business. That is to say that so far they have had no involvement in the planning or the construction of the hotel. So what exactly is being returned to the forest itself and to the local people? Or to any local community or local school or university involed in this project.

It is inconceivable to us that this situation is unique to the Sinharaja. We believe that if this is happening on a UNESCO World Heritage Protected Site such as the Sinharaja Forest Reserve - practically right underneath their very nose - then surely and sadly similar actions must be going on elsewhere in other protected World Heritage Sites across the globe.