The launch of the Amazon Sustainable Landscape Project in Guyana on April 8, 2024, marked a significant step forward in conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in the Amazon region.
This five-year project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the World Wildlife Fund, focuses on enhancing landscape connectivity and improving the management of protected regions within Southern Guyana's forests.
The project, which operates under the theme "Securing a living Amazon through landscape connectivity in Southern Guyana," is structured around four main components: (i) Integrated Protected Landscapes, (ii) Integrated Productive Landscapes, (iii) Policies/Incentives for Protected and Productive Landscapes, and (iv) Capacity Building and Regional Cooperation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading the execution in partnership with the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). The main thrust of the work will be focussed on the enhancement the management practices to support conservation of 611,000 hectares of the Kanuku Mountains' protected area and 901,800 hectares of the North Rupununi Wetlands.
The five million Euro programme is designed to preserve the ecological and hydrological integrity of these critical areas and aims to support conservation efforts in important habitats in the Rupununi. The project directly benefits several Indigenous communities and bolsters their ability to protect their environment.
Additionally, the project will encourage sustainable management and restoration practices for agricultural lands, forests, and freshwater habitats and promote economic, social, and inclusive well-being.
“The urgency of this project is underscored by the increasing threats posed to the Amazon region by the current climate crisis”, Aiesha Williams, WWF Guianas Country Manager, also highlighted the critical state of the Amazon, with 34% already reaching a 'tipping point'—a stage of irreversible damage, while stressing the importance of initiatives like the ASL Programme to prevent further degradation and protect local and Indigenous communities.
The program operates on the rationale that the protection of significant biodiversity and maintaining the integrity of ecosystem services in the Amazon region can be achieved through numerous effective strategies, including support for protected areas and indigenous lands, policy development, and enhancing the capacity of communities to ensure the continued preservation and protection of the Amazon region for future generations.
This five-year project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the World Wildlife Fund, focuses on enhancing landscape connectivity and improving the management of protected regions within Southern Guyana's forests.
The project, which operates under the theme "Securing a living Amazon through landscape connectivity in Southern Guyana," is structured around four main components: (i) Integrated Protected Landscapes, (ii) Integrated Productive Landscapes, (iii) Policies/Incentives for Protected and Productive Landscapes, and (iv) Capacity Building and Regional Cooperation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading the execution in partnership with the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). The main thrust of the work will be focussed on the enhancement the management practices to support conservation of 611,000 hectares of the Kanuku Mountains' protected area and 901,800 hectares of the North Rupununi Wetlands.
The five million Euro programme is designed to preserve the ecological and hydrological integrity of these critical areas and aims to support conservation efforts in important habitats in the Rupununi. The project directly benefits several Indigenous communities and bolsters their ability to protect their environment.
Additionally, the project will encourage sustainable management and restoration practices for agricultural lands, forests, and freshwater habitats and promote economic, social, and inclusive well-being.
“The urgency of this project is underscored by the increasing threats posed to the Amazon region by the current climate crisis”, Aiesha Williams, WWF Guianas Country Manager, also highlighted the critical state of the Amazon, with 34% already reaching a 'tipping point'—a stage of irreversible damage, while stressing the importance of initiatives like the ASL Programme to prevent further degradation and protect local and Indigenous communities.
The program operates on the rationale that the protection of significant biodiversity and maintaining the integrity of ecosystem services in the Amazon region can be achieved through numerous effective strategies, including support for protected areas and indigenous lands, policy development, and enhancing the capacity of communities to ensure the continued preservation and protection of the Amazon region for future generations.
