The World Wildlife Fund Guianas (WWF), with support from the European Union (EU), has launched a new project to enhance protection of marine and coastal resources of both Guyana and Suriname by the year 2020.
The project, ‘Promoting Integrated and Participatory Ocean Governance in Guyana and Suriname: the Eastern Gate to the Caribbean,’ was officially launched yesterday at Regency Suites, in the presence of officials from the WWF, the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the European Union (EU), and the Department of Environment of the Ministry of the Presidency, as well as other stakeholders.
Said to be the result of a series of coordinated regional project planning and design efforts amongst WWF Guianas, the PAC, the Nature Conservation Service of the Ministry of ROGB (Suriname), and the Green Heritage Fund Suriname, the project is expected to run for a period of four years, with the support of a €1.25 million grant from the European Union.
Ultimately, the project speaks to both countries’ commitment to achieving target 11 of the Aichi Biodiversity targets. “By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes,” it states.
By promoting integrated and participatory ocean governance, through participatory spatial planning, inclusive of defining priorities for marine protection and wise use, it is expected that both Guyana and Suriname will see an increase in the protection of marine and coastal resources. This would in turn enhance food security, protect livelihoods, increase climate resilience and support sustainable socio-economic development in these countries.
Other benefits of the project include the opportunity to fill critical information gaps by developing comprehensive and visually appealing spatial data (a GIS atlas and 3-D ocean maps) collated through participatory processes, enabling informed decision-making regarding marine protection and management.
As well as helping to demonstrate that compelling data, participatory spatial planning and targeted capacity building can contribute to conserving biodiversity and fostering economic activities compatible with ocean health.
European Union Ambassador for Guyana and Suriname Jernej Videtič, in his address at the launch yesterday, contended that roughly 1.1 million people stand to benefit from the implementation of the project, particularly since it is aimed at addressing specific challenges affecting marine ecosystems. These challenges include those derived from climate change, fisheries and carbon storage, all of which contribute to decreasing the vulnerability of this part of the region, he said.
Meanwhile, WWF Guianas representative Laurens Gomes noted that, “The Ocean is one of our greatest gifts,” and also happens to be a “very critical food source” for many communities around the world.
More significantly, he explained that the ocean captures more carbon emissions than all of the world’s forests, thus the project would allow experts to tap into the knowledge and experience of people who are already using the oceans. “We would be placing people first in terms of people who are knowledgeable about the ocean because they may be researching but also because they may be active users of the ocean and thus are gathering important knowledge,” Gomes said, before making mention of plans to address issues such as over-fishing, poverty alleviation and the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas.
Aiesha Williams, Country Manager of WWF Guyana, emphasised the importance of marine and coastal governance and protection as marine resources remain vital at national, regional and international levels.
“Our marine resources are considered overexploited, and not just Guyana or the Guianas, it’s the entire Caribbean and globally as well; thus, we need to think of the impact we have on the oceans and we must try to understand the resources, if we are to understand its importance and how we can protect these rich resources that we have,” Williams said.
“It is a vital resource of global significance and it supports a number of fisheries, major nursery grounds and spawning grounds…we must govern our marine resources so that all these benefits can remain for our generations to come,” she added, while noting that the project would adopt Guyana’s approach to the management of terrestrial protected areas, where consideration is given to people and communities that benefit from its resources.
Also speaking at the event was Director of the Department of Environment of the Ministry of the Presidency Ndibi Schwiers, who lauded the efforts of the EU for bringing Guyana one step closer to establishing marine protected areas, which currently don’t exist. “To date, there are no Marine Protected Areas. However, given our international commitment to safeguarding biological wealth by ensuring that at last 10 percent of our coastal and marine areas and at least 70% of our terrestrial areas are protected, the Government of Guyana has committed to protecting an additional 2 million hectares of its territory and this will include both waterways and land,” Schwiers said.
Additionally, Schwiers said apart from raising awareness on Guyana’s rich marine biodiversity, her department also welcomes the expected development and expansion of economic activities along the coast that will accompany the new project.
The project was launched in neighbouring Suriname on January 24, 2017.
