Last Thursday the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently inked a grant agreement with the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) to support Butterfly Farming in the Region Nine community.
The amount is $7 million. This grant agreement aims to support the NRDDB’s project to promote sustainable community-based livelihoods with butterfly production in Guyana, the WWF said in a statement.
The butterfly farm and house, Kawa Amazonica, located in Fair View Village within the Iwokrama Forest will serve as a hub for community-based butterfly export businesses, a training centre and tourist attraction, and are meant to benefit the livelihoods of the communities in the North Rupununi, the WWF said.
The venture is also supported by the Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) as a collaborative partner.
The project follows on the heels of the recently-concluded three-year Darwin Initiative funded project entitled ‘Biodiversity and sustainable development of butterfly production in Guyana,’ which ended in June 2009.
The current project is expected to build on the achievements of the Darwin project which has as some of its main collaborating partners the IIC, NRDDB, University of Warwick and University of Guyana.
At the ceremony, NRDDB Executive Director Vincent Henry noted that it was expected that sustainable utilization of the natural resourc-es will improve the socioeconomic situation in Region Nine and will promote local people’s desire to keep their natural environment intact.
He was quoted as saying that this included a wish to keep the natural environment free of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers which are common threats in many areas.
The WWF said that the project is considered important to the North Rupununi, where there is a need to conserve local biodiversity, particularly in its wetlands. It said developments in this region are occurring rapidly and the recent opening of the Takutu Bridge and continued improvements of the Guyana–Brazil Road will open the area to various environmental impacts.
“Changes such as these will have ecological consequences for these areas. Many communities are self-sufficient relying on livelihoods such as subsistence farming, fishing, gathering and hunting. However, with increased expectations for their children’s education and increased material needs such as improved non-traditional housing and transport, many young people leave their communities for employment and often engage in activities such as logging, mining or the service industry,” the conservation NGO observed.
The main goal of the project is to improve employment opportunities for interested communities of the North Rupununi by enhancing their capacity to manage their businesses with the sustainable utilization of butterflies. It is expected that the butterfly project can promote an alternative and sustainable livelihood option in the region.
The WWF said that one major expectation to arise from this project is the export of butterfly pupae, which can serve to generate income from overseas markets. It is also expected that the butterfly farming activities here will promote ecotourism and related butterfly crafts in the region.
