The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) in collaboration with the Education Ministry on Monday launched its website to increase public awareness and educational campaigns which commenced last year with regional consultations in Regions 1 to 6.
The launching of the website, www.mangrovesgy.org, took place at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) stated.
The website contains information on the restoration project, staff, the pilot areas, types of mangroves, benefits of restoration and research papers.
The release said also that this initiative is in tandem with government’s ICT thrust which promotes the use of technology in accessing information.
Director of the National Agriculture Research Institute (NAREI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth stated that the project was initiated in 2010 to support Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), particularly to address restoration of mangroves in areas which have been denuded, facilitate afforestation in areas where mangroves never existed and climate change abatement.
He noted the on-going events in Australia, Brazil and the United States which indicate the effects of the climate change phenomena.
Dr. Homenauth indicated that in addressing these challenges from an agricultural standpoint requires climate smart agriculture that will increase its resilience to climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He stressed too, GINA said, that the mangrove project is in tandem with international efforts to address the effects of climate change.
Meanwhile, Guyana has moved to make mangroves a protected species which has resulted in its protection becoming a law.
The restoration process and protection of mangroves aid the reduction of costs of constructing a sea defence and its maintenance.
Director of NCERD, Mohandatt Goolsarran indicated that the Education Ministry will continue to work and support the sustainability of the project.
He noted that in ensuring the project’s impact on the school s3ystem the ministry will commit resources for its continuous evaluation throughout its tenure and will feed the agency the necessary results, thereby facilitating the success of the project.
The ministry has also committed to include in its curriculum a booklet prepared by the mangrove restoration committee for the topic to be integrated in the science subjects.
Another educational partnership is reflected in the engagement of students from the Guyana School of Agriculture fisheries and forestry programmes which are involved in restoration activities, particularly in monitoring and evaluation of the process and planting.
Students from GSA and the University of Guyana Technology, Applied Sciences and Agriculture faculties are also engaged in the project in an effort to advance its research component, monitoring, replanting and working on the restoration sites.
Several of the students were able to receive research grants, GINA added, noting that student participation aids the enhancement of the project while they receive practical experience and theory.
Project Coordinator, Dr. Simpson DaSilva in his overview of the project said that the commitment of the government to conserve, restore and protect the mangrove forests gave birth to the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project; in recognition of the essential role mangroves play in the defence of the coastal zone.
He disclosed that over 60,000 mangrove seedlings have already been planted, mainly along the East Coast while 200,000 more seedlings are expected to be planted in 2011.
These contracts have already been awarded to persons in the community.
