Lanka’s central highlands win heritage battle

It was barely two weeks ago that the media reported a rare find that hit the headlines around the world. A tiny mammal that many feared was extinct - the Montane Slender Loris. But more significant news was to come – on July 31 came the announcement that the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which is also the home of this rare animal has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site- recognition of its international importance. The area identified includes the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the International World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The programme was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972. Since then, 186 state parties have ratified the convention including Sri Lanka which became a member in 1980. The World Heritage list currently includes 911 properties in 149 countries around the world that the committee deems as having "outstanding universal value". The sites consist of 704 cultural sites, 180 with natural significance and 27 that have both. The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka has been inscribed as a natural site.

“The region is considered a super biodiversity hotspot,” noted the press release from UNESCO announcing the inclusion of Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands to the prestigious list. The declaration was announced by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee (WHC) at its 34th Session in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia. The other natural site to be listed was Papahanumokuakea in Hawaii, USA.

Deputy Minister of Environment Faiszer Musthapha who led the team of delegates to push Sri Lanka’s proposal that was evaluated along with many submissions by other countries, was jubilant. that Sri Lanka’s proposal was finally accepted unanimously. Convincing the committee was not an easy task, he told the Sunday Times.

The Central Highlands was initially proposed as a World Heritage site for both its cultural and natural value.

However there were technical difficulties in getting the site declared a ‘Mixed’ World Heritage site. The Sri Lankan team had to hence re-submit the proposal dropping the cultural tag, and push the case on the area’s natural importance alone. “This is also unique where the World Heritage Committee agreed to consider the proposal under a changed criterion,” said the Deputy Minister.

As per the UNESCO convention the site should be of universal value and meet at least one of ten selection criteria. This includes “to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.”

The criteria is stringent, but the Central Highlands’ natural wealth is indeed unique enough to justify its inclusion. "40-50% plants found in the Central Highlands are endemic to the island emphasizing this site’s importance,” pointed out Dr. Siril Wijesundara, Director General of Sri Lanka Botanical Gardens Departments. Dr. Wijesundara pointed out instances of some plants seen only in certain mountainous areas; for instance, the Hortonia ovalifolia can only be found in the Peak wilderness while a related species Hortonia floribunda is found only in Knuckles and Horton Plains.

The Central Highlands is also home to a variety of mammals including the Sambur, Leopard, primates and many small mammals. Like the Montane Slender Loris, the area is home to the Bear Monkey – the highland race of the endemic Purple-faced Leaf Monkey. Elephants once roamed these areas too before they were hunted down by the British. However, the Peak Wilderness still has a small herd of elephants.

The avi-fauna diversity in the region is also high with many endemics found only in the hill country like the Whistling Thrush, Bush Warbler, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Sri Lanka White-eye and the Wood Pigeon.

The UNESCO declaration is also significant given that the Central Highlands is probably the most threatened ecosystem in the country. These sites – Horton Plains, Peak Wilderness and Knuckles are believed to have been a large forest area in centuries past. But under colonial rule, many of the pristine forests were felled.

Even at present the rapid expansion of vegetable gardens threatens the natural forests, with illicit gem mining, felling of trees etc being other direct human threats. Invasive alien species and the phenomenon of some trees mysteriously dying have worried environmentalists. Many of Sri Lanka’s major rivers too spring from here with the area being a major hydro catchment site.

The timely declaration of the Central Highlands as a UNESCO World Heritage site will hopefully result in much needed protection and conservation with its importance now receiving international attention.

Behind the scenes

The process of proposing the Central Highlands as a World Heritage site was a complex team effort. The Man & Biosphere Committee operating under the National Science Foundation initiated the process as far back as 2004 with the committee being chaired at that time by Lesley Wijesinghe. Secretary Anusha Amarasinghe had also put in enormous effort to see their work finally bear fruit.

A dossier prepared by Dr. Jini Dela with a team of subject experts helped to convince the World Heritage Committee to give a favourable decision to Sri Lanka too. The committee was also supported by Saroja Sirisena and the Environmental Ministry.

World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka

Cultural
Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (1982)
Ancient City of Sigiriya (1982)
Golden Temple of Dambulla (1991)
Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (1988)
Sacred City of Anuradhapura (1982)
Sacred City of Kandy (1988)

Natural
Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (2010)
Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988)

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Wilpattu Villu Ecosystem to Reopen Soon

Tragic incidents forced the closure of Sri Lanka’s largest National Park – Wilpattu in 2007. But with the conflict behind us plans are underway to reopen it for visitors. Malaka Rodrigo reports 
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Prince Vijaya landed on the north-western coast of Sri Lanka in 543 BC and met Kuveni, the Yakkha princess of the area. Thambapanni – the beach with copper sand and Kali Villu where Kuweni had her palace are located inside the park boundaries of Wilpattu.

These areas of historic significance will soon be accessible to the public as the Wilpattu National Park that has been closed for many years reopens to the public in a few months.

“De-mining in Wilpattu National Park is currently being carried out by the Security Forces. As soon as we get theKudrimalai – where Vijaya is supposed to have landed security clearance; my Department will start rehabilitation work in the park,” said Ananda Wijesuriya, Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). The DWC will first focus on rehabilitating the road network inside the park and then look at developing visitor facilities, he said.

Located adjoining the troubled areas of Wanni and Mannar, Wilpattu had been in the clutches of the LTTE for many years. The park was first closed in 1985 due to the armed conflict and after the ceasefire negotiations in 2002, was reopened in May 2003.

Two tragic incidents resulted in its closure again. In the first incident, a jeep carrying a group of wildlife lovers was blown up in a landmine in May 2006. Among the group was prominent author Nihal De Silva who wrote the Gratiaen Prize winning novel “Road from Elephant Pass”. The second tragic incident in March 2007 cost the life of Wilpattu’s own park warden Wasantha Pushpananda who was ambushed and killed by the LTTE while on an inspection tour with a team of security forces.

The Park has remained closed since then and the DWC is cautious not to open it until it gets the all-clear. The camping sites will be the first to open for the public once the basic facilities are set up, a DWC official said. Most of the Wilpattu camping sites are located near serene villus.

Wilpattu is also famous for its circuit bungalows that overlook the villus. There are seven lodges, located at Maradanmaduwa, Pannikar Villu, Kalli Villu, Mena Villu, Thala Villu, Manikkapola Uttu and Kokmottai, all in need of extensive repair. A few are currently occupied by the Armed Forces, who provide security to the park.

Wilpattu has always been a fantastic experience for wildlife lovers, its key attraction being its leopards. Before the park closed, Wilpattu was ‘the place’ to see leopards. It is believed Wilpattu national park has more leopards than Yala, but this can be clarified only after proper research. 
The park also has a large population of elephants who are bigger in size, perhaps by feeding on the nutrient-rich vegetation of the villus. So the ecotourism value of Wilpattu is also huge.

Wilpattu has a large diversity of ecosystems, but its most unique feature is the presence of many natural lakes or “villus” with fresh or brackish water that had given the park its name. Though they look like lakes, these ‘villus’ are flat basin-like fault depressions on the earth’s surface containing purely rain water. Two of these ‘villus’ are saline. Another equally striking feature, though confined to certain sections of the park is the copper red, loamy soils. The western sector of the park with deeply forested areas and thorny bushes is reminiscent of Yala National Park.

Elephant, sloth bear, sambur, spotted deer are some of the 31 mammalian species that can be easily seen in the Wilpattu national park. The bird diversity within the park is high. Recent research recorded 137 species of birds where 51% out of the breeding resident species of the island had been seen within the park boundaries. The monitor lizard, Mugger crocodile, Common cobra, Indian python and several species of tortoise are among the reptiles that can be found in the Wilpattu villus.

Wilpattu’s cultural heritage too is worth exploring. The ruins of an ancient building found in Kali Villu is believed to be the ruins of Kuveni’s palace. Another ancient love story unveiled 2000 years ago between Saliya – the son of Dutugemunu and Asoka mala has a background of Maradanmaduwa located within the national park. Ruins of pre-Vijayan periods too have been found from the area. Historians believe that Kudrimalai was a famous port in ancient times.

Wilpattu is one of the oldest national parks of the country. It was first declared as a sanctuary in 1905 and its conservation status was elevated to that of a National Park in 1938. Areas to the north were also declared as Wilpattu Sanctuary in 1947 and remain an extension to the National Park.

At present, the park is controlled by the security forces and the DWC presence is restricted to an office near the entrance, but wildlife officers are readying to take up the challenge to protect Wilpattu’s diverse wildlife. “We will do a full assessment of the status of the park before we start operations. We are keen on opening it to the general public,” a wildlife official said.

Published on 17.Jan.2010 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100117/Plus/plus_11.html