WWF outlines its achievements in the Guianas
WORLD Wildlife Fund (WWF) which, this year, celebrates ten years of conservation in the Guianas, has forged numerous partnerships and seen many highlights and achievements.

Education and Communications Officer, WWF Guianas (Guyana), Ms. Muni Schanzenbacher told the media Thursday, in the Irving Street, Queenstown, Georgetown office, that it was established in 1999 along with other offices in Suriname and French Guiana.

WWF is in the third phase of its Guianas Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project which continues through 2011 and successful aspects were concluded with Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS), North Rupununi District Development Board and Arapaima Management Project, she informed.

“And, more recently, we worked with Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) in boosting local capacity for carbon credit and carbon stock assessment which contributed, quite significantly, to the agreement with Norway,” Schanzenbacher stated.

Country Manager of WWF Guianas (Guyana), Dr. Patrick Williams said the agency has been partnering with Government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and semi-autonomous agencies, such as the GFC, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), GMTCS, Wildlife Division of the Office of the President, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Surveys and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“So, most of the agencies in Guyana that have some kind of remit in the area of environmental conservation, we have had an association with them and our programme has been broad-based enough to cover aspects of their work,” he affirmed.

Williams said the project with GFC saw WWF contributing US$120,000. “And what we try to do is not only build capacity but also join our resources with these agencies because, in most cases, they don’t have enough funding to do what they want and so we provide quite a bit to boost their activities,” he offered.

Williams said one of the things the WWF Guyana is proud of is the work with local communities towards promoting sustainable development in them.

“We plan, in the future, also to continue our work with these communities because we believe that, at the end of the day, if the communities do not respond to the initiatives, then we still have a long way to go,” he pointed out.

Identification
The WWF Guianas conservation initiative started after the identification of the ‘Guianian Ecoregion Complex’ as a priority area for conservation by WWF International.

The Guianian Ecoregion is one of 200 areas identified worldwide for WWF’s Global 200 Campaign and is characterised by extensive areas of pristine forest, mountain ridges, savannahs and high levels of endemism.

In 1999, after it was identified, WWF Guianas project offices were opened in Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana and much progress has been recorded since.

During the first phase, from 1999 to 2002, under the Guianas Forests & Environmental Conservation Project, WWF Guianas initiated a successful marine turtle conservation project in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

Significant steps have also been taken, with forestry authorities in Guyana and Suriname, to achieve better forestry practices and management and attention was paid to gold mining, about which studies were undertaken in assessing mercury pollution in selected rivers of the three Guianas.

In Guyana this was done with expertise from the University of Guyana (UG) Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (IAST).

For the duration of the second phase, 2002 to 2007, under the Guianas Sustainable Forest Resources Management Project, the focus expanded to include sustainable forest management, gold mining pollution abatement and protected areas management, while marine turtle conservation activities were carried out under a separate project.

In that period, WWF Guianas continued to collaborate with national forestry authorities and companies in the Guianas.

For issues related to gold mining, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to formalise cooperation between GGMC and the Geology and Mining Department in Suriname.

Additionally, clean gold techniques were promoted in the three Guianas and, for protected areas, their improved management was promoted in Boven Coesewijne, Brownsberg Nature and Tresor Nature Parks.

The third and current phase, 2007 to 2011, under the Guianas Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project, the scope of work expanded further to include freshwater management, species conservation and management, education and communication and, most recently, carbon and reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).

Williams said, so far, the highlights in this current phase include FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification of two WWF Guianas partners, Suma Lumber in Suriname and Iwokrama in Guyana, community development projects in collaboration with the British High Commission and forest authorities in Guyana and Suriname.

Research
He explained that, in Guyana, important background research, initiated and funded by WWF, were critical steps in assessing carbon stocks and building capacity. This also provided critical information for the LCDS agreement with Norway.

Williams said, in gold mining, regional collaboration and integration were encouraged with exchange visits and workshops and mercury free techniques were promoted in various mining sites.

Regarding protected area establishment and management, WWF’s support aided in the establishment of Park Amazonien, a protected area in French Guiana while, in Guyana, WWF has worked with the local authorities to take further strides in the management plan for the Kaieteur National Park.

In the area of species management, several studies have been conducted on key ones, such as the giant otter and the black caiman, a guidance manual produced and various regional workshops conducted.

Concerning freshwater management, awareness activities have been ongoing for the ‘Bigi Pan Multiple Use Area’ in Suriname and support has been given to a local organisation in Guyana (North Rupununi District Development Board) for Arapaima management.

Further, capacity in water management for local authorities was boosted in both Guyana and Suriname and, for environmental education and communication, a series of radio and video programmes were produced and disbursed in the Guianas, catering for the general public.

Education centres were created in various parts of the Guianas and educational books and other informative material were published and distributed.

Funds for these projects were secured mainly from the Directorate General for Dutch International Cooperation (DGIS), FFEM a French donor, WWF- Netherlands, WWF France and the European Union.

Several projects are ongoing and significant results are not expected until the end of this current phase, which includes the Regional Wetlands Assessment Project, ground water assessments and more community development projects.

WWF Guianas has expressed thanks to all of its donors, partners and collaborators for their hard work, commitment, cooperation and support towards its conservation efforts in the region and looks forward to their continued support in present and future endeavours, Williams said.