The Sovi Basin is located in

Naitasiri Province :see also Naitasiri District Naitasiri is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji and one of eight located on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. Geography and infrastructure Naitasiri covers an area of , and occupies the area mostly to the north of Suva, ...

, on the island of

Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian P ...

, the largest island in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. Covering approximately 19,600 hectares, the basin is blanketed by a well-preserved tropical lowland forest, which is Fiji's largest and most biologically diverse. Sovi basin resides within the Polynesia/Micronesia biodiversity hotspot, one of 34 hot spots throughout the globe. The site is to be protected in a partnership between Fiji Water and

Conservation International Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. CI's work focuses on science, policy and partnership with businesses, governments and communities. The organ ...

. The rainforest, wilderness area and high scenic valley contribute to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. A area covering the basin is the Sovi Basin

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

. This area supports the largest protected populations of many of Fiji's restricted-range species, including the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

Long-legged thicketbird, the vulnerable

Pink-billed parrotfinch The pink-billed parrotfinch (''Erythrura kleinschmidti'') is a species of estrildid finch found on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji. Commonly found at undisturbed mature forest in the centre and east of Viti Levu, e.g. Joske's Thumb near Suva. This ...

and Shy Ground-dove, and the

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

Masked shining parrot The masked shining parrot (''Prosopeia personata''), also known as the masked parrot, masked musk parrot, or the yellow-breasted musk parrot is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to Viti Levu in Fiji. Its natural habit ...

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on October 26, 1999 in the Cultural category.{{cite web, title=Sovi Basin - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1374/, website=whc.unesco.org, publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre, access-date=28 May 2017, language=en

References

Landforms of Fiji Basins Landforms of Oceania Preliminary Register of Sites of National Significance in Fiji World Heritage Tentative List Important Bird Areas of Fiji