THE Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) is progressing and 13 acres at Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara, are expected to be planted with mangrove seedlings by the end of this week. Planting began last Saturday and along with support from the Mangrove Action Committee (MAC), the Agriculture Ministry’s Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) workers and community volunteers were involved in the effort.
These works are in an effort to ensure that Guyana’s mangroves are protected, managed and restored.
The MAC was established under the $100M government funded, GMRP whose objectives are to: promote sustainable management of mangrove forest; develop effective protection of mangrove ecosystem and rehabilitation; increase public awareness and education on the benefits of the mangrove forests; establish and complete a legal framework for mangrove ecosystem management and encourage community-based mangrove management; and establish the administrative capacity for the management of mangroves in Guyana.
The project is managed by the MAC within the Climate Change and Agricultural Adaptation Unit of Guyana’s National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Apart from the planting, the most recent advancement under the GMRP was the tabling of the completed National Mangrove Action Plan 2010 in the National Assembly, last Thursday. It is a three year plan and was completed with support from several stakeholders. Several regional consultations were also held prior to assist with the completion of the National Plan.
Approach
GMRP Coordinator, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie, told the Guyana Chronicle in an interview that the approach to restore the mangrove will be Ecosystem Mangrove Restoration (EMR) approach.
He explained that following the EMR approach, step one will be to understand which mangrove species belongs at a particular site and what conditions it needs to grow successfully.
After that, Chintamanie said the next move will be to understand the existing conditions at the site and to figure out what is preventing the normal growth of the mangrove trees.
He said: “When we understand these things we can amend the site condition so that they meet the needs of the mangroves and only plant new mangroves if re-growth is not occurring.”
Chintamanie added that the experimental planting started earlier this year at La Belle Alliance and Lima, in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), was successful.
These two sites, according to him, have been identified as other possible planting sites, in addition to Wakenaam in Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and Number Six Beach in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice).
Chintamanie pointed out that Regions One (Barima/ Waini) and Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) are identified as sites for mangrove restorations projects.
In Region Four, after works at Hope Beach are completed, he said planting will commence at Mon Repos foreshore.
The Project Coordinator noted that seedlings for the planting effort have been procured through community development.
He noted that approximately 12,000 seedlings have been sourced, for the planting at Hope Beach, from the Trafalgar Community Development Centre (CDC) and the Lovely Lass CDC, in Region Five.“We have support from the communities,” he said.
The Project Coordinator agreed that the public awareness phase of the project has had an impact and is responsible for the enthusiasms expressed by community members.
Regional Coordinator of D&I in Region Four, Mr. Tullaram Jairam, maintained that public awareness is key to the success of the project.
Jairam said he has been part of several seminars and workshops that addressed the importance of the mangroves. “We cannot afford to move people from the East Coast, so we have to do what we need to…without this project we are in serious problems,” he said.
He added that the workers involved in the planting at Hope Beach also recognise the importance and are fully supportive of the project.“These men are out on a Sunday to work and they are not supposed to work. They work though and that shows their support,” he said.
Also at Hope Beach, voicing his support was a community volunteer, Mr. Dhanpall Sukhdeo, who said he came on board with the project after an outreach at the Hope Secondary School.
“At the meeting we heard it is a good project and from what we see the mangrove have many benefits…we will have too much trouble if we don’t act now,” he said.
Sukhdeo noted that at Hope Beach there are ten community volunteers involved in the planting.
“The planting has now started so we will have more people coming on board,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Paul McAdam, MAC Community Development Specialist and member of the Environment Enhancement Committee, observed that there is a breach of the Sea Defence Act.
He said according to the Act the shell bank at Hope Beach is not supposed to be removed.
McAdam, noted that this act is widespread and the materials are used by persons to fill their yards and pot plants, because of its mineral composition.
McAdam noted that there are strict penalties under the Act to address breeches, including fines and imprisonment.
Community members were also involved in cleaning up of the Hope Beach area on Sunday.