Sinharaja is the largest remaining continuous lowland evergreen rainforest in Sri Lanka’s wet zone and a site of outstanding ecological significance due to its exceptionally high levels of endemism in flora and fauna. Covering an area of 29,590 hectares and located at approximately 6.38636° latitude and 80.4918° longitude, it was first granted strict protection in 1971, when 2,500 hectares were designated as an IUCN–IBP Strict Nature Reserve. All timber extraction was banned in 1977, and in 1978 Sinharaja was formally recognized as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Biosphere Reserve. While only 84 families live within the southern part of the reserve, about 544 families reside in surrounding villages and depend on livelihoods such as rubber, tea, cinnamon, paddy, and vegetable cultivation, with community-based initiatives—including enrichment planting, sustainable use of forest species, and local youth guiding visitors—supporting conservation and rural development as the forest attracts around 20,000 visitors annually.