IN observance of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, Recover Guyana, in collaboration with the Jan De Nul Group, is set to host the country’s inaugural National Youth Conference on Mangrove Conservation this Friday.

The landmark event will take place at the Ramada Princess Hotel, at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
While this is the first time the conference is being held at the national level, Recover Guyana has been quietly building momentum on this issue for the past two years, starting with smaller community-focused initiatives that engaged youths and local stakeholders in conservation efforts.

This Friday’s conference promises a dynamic lineup of activities designed to raise awareness about the vital role of mangrove ecosystems in climate resilience, coastal protection, and biodiversity.

Attendees can expect an expert panel session featuring local and international environmental specialists, a youth forum led by national SHOUT finalists, and a spirited “Mangrove Jeopardy Challenge” to test participants’ knowledge in a fun, interactive way.

Among the expert speakers confirmed for the conference are Srinivasa Rao, a scientist at India’s National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (NRSC-ISRO); British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller; European Union Ambassador to Guyana Rene Van Nes; and Project Manager at Jan De Nul, Davy Spriet.
Founder of Recover Guyana, Dr. Dave Lalltoo described the conference as a milestone moment for youth environmental leadership in Guyana.

“The inaugural National Youth Conference on Mangrove Conservation brings together 150 youths from across Guyana, alongside local and international experts, policymakers, and educators,” Dr. Lalltoo shared. “It is a clear example of how industry and nature can coexist; reviving coastal forests, creating biodiversity corridors, and supporting community livelihoods.”

Recover Guyana, a youth-focused, community-driven nonprofit organsation, champions environmental protection, education, and empowerment. From planting trees and building clean-water systems to mentoring young “green leaders” through its SHOUT initiative, the group works to create lasting impacts for the country’s most vulnerable communities while caring for the planet.
At the national level, mangrove restoration and conservation have been ongoing priorities. Since the inception of Guyana’s Mangrove Restoration Programme over 15 years ago, the Government has invested more than $1.9 billion in strengthening the resilience of coastal regions. Restoration work has so far covered over 500 hectares of mangroves across more than 35 sites in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. In 2024 alone, an additional $275 million has been allocated for new restoration projects in Regions Two and Five.

Mangroves are widely recognised for their crucial role in Guyana’s natural sea defence system, helping to dampen wave action, trap sediments, stabilise shorelines, and sequester carbon, an increasingly important function in the fight against climate change.

In 2023, Guyana and the European Union signed an agreement to channel part of a €4.6 million grant into a mangrove protection and restoration project along Guyana’s coastline. This project forms part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a forest partnership between the EU and Guyana, signed in Egypt in 2022.
The National Youth Conference on Mangrove Conservation will be streamed live this Friday from 0900hrs, and can be viewed on YouTube at this link: (https://www.youtube.com/live/0ZF1XX4N0uY)

By uniting young people, experts, and international partners under one roof, Recover Guyana and Jan De Nul hope this event will inspire a new generation of environmental stewards, ensuring that Guyana’s mangroves, and the communities they protect, continue to thrive for decades to come.