'Sri Lanka is a Garden of Eden for Scientists' – Dr. Pethiyagoda

Sri Lanka's foremost biodiversity scientist, Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, describes this country as "a veritable Garden of Eden for evolutionary scientists." Speaking to The Sunday Island, he warned that while the country remains rich in natural heritage, the threats are mounting fast.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

“We now have more alien species in our waters than endemic ones. There’s no longer an ‘if’ about extinction—it’s a matter of ‘when’. And we're doing very little about it,” he stressed.

Winner of the Linnean Medal and the Rolex Award, Dr. Pethiyagoda has devoted decades to documenting Sri Lanka’s freshwater fishes and other fauna. In this exclusive conversation with The Sunday Island’s Ifham Nizam, he reflects on evolution, science, and the looming challenges for conservation.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: You describe Sri Lanka as a “veritable Garden of Eden” for evolutionary scientists. What makes the island such a unique setting for studying biodiversity and evolutionary processes?

A: Several things. First off is the rainfall regime in our biodiversity-rich southwestern wet zone. This is the only region in the whole of South Asia that enjoys a perhumid climate: there are no consecutive dry months. Basically, every month receives on average 100 mm of rain. As a result, the wet zone’s rainforests support astonishing plant and animal diversity.