On land, we have a long tradition of applying spatial planning to decide which areas to use for housing, roads and recreation, and which areas should be protected for nature conservation.
The same planning is needed for the ocean. The fast developing offshore oil and gas sector, incease shipping and fishing industry are increasingly competing for space. To avoid conflicts and protect the valuable coastal and marine ecosystems all stakeholders on the sea need to develop a plan to balance human activities with ecological protection. This process is called Marine Spatial Planning.
Suriname and Guyana have made important steps towards gaining more knowledge on the marine environment in the four-year project 'Promoting integrated ocean and participatory governance in Guyana and Suriname: The Eastern Gate to the Caribean'. WWF-Guianas led the process with all stakeholders to lay the groundwork and gather scientific data on the coastal and marine areas with goal to establish marine spatials plan with protection for marine ecosystems. The project has been funded by the European Union.
Now the groundwork has been laid WWF-Guianas will continue to advicate and participate for the actual developing of Marine Spatial Plans in Suriname and Guyana.
Watch the video on how Marine Spatial Planning works
Marine Spatial Planning
The project “Promoting Integrated and Participatory Ocean Governance in Guyana and Suriname aimed to significantly strengthen governance and increase protection of the marine and coastal resources of Guyana and Suriname.
The project produced several technical reports containing information and data that will inform future MSP efforts in Guyana and Suriname
Suriname:
The CBD Gap and Legal Analysis: is the assessment of the national legislation in Suriname, and the legislative review regarding marine management regulations which aims to provide guidance on the activities to be completed to help Suriname get closer to achieving the Aichi targets covered under this project.
Stakeholder Analysis: this will ensure that actors whose interests should be taken into account when developing or implementing marine spatial plans.
Participatory Three Dimensional Modelling (P3DM): this is a community-based and stakeholder based process, which integrates local spatial knowledge with topographic data to produce a physical 3-D model assembled by mapping participants.
Capacity Needs Assessment: this was performed to identify gaps in capacity (both from a technical, and standpoint), and also to highlight existing and latent capacity.
Equivalence Gap Analysis for Indigenous Peoples and Gender: this analysis is to ensure that stakeholders from marginalized groups are enabled to participate actively, fully and fairly, and with an understanding of the different motivations, stakes, and constraints of an action/process.
Click for more details on key results including project reports and event photos.
Guyana
Gender Analysis of the Fisheries Sector in Guyana 2020
Indigenous Peoples, Gender & Marginalized Or Minority Groups: A cursory look at their engagement and participation in marine and coastal or ocean and coastal resources planning and implementation processes in Guyana (An Equivalence Gap Analysis)
Legislative Review of the Environmental Laws of Guyana in relation to the 2020 CBD Targets
Marine Spatial Conservation Planning in Guyana
Ocean Repository (Coastal and Marine Environment and Resources) Data and Data Needs
Roadmap and draft Workplan for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Guyana
Stakeholder Analysis and Capacity Needs Assessment –Marine Spatial Planning for Guyana Report
Click for more details on key results including project reports and event photos.