Guyana & EU sign agreement to protect, manage mangroves

Guyana has signed an agreement with the European Union to establish a comprehensive programme to protect and manage the country’s mangroves.

The project is part of the EU/Guyana partnership agreement signed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 27 in Egypt last year, valued at an estimated Euro 4.6 million.

EU Commission’s Executive Vice President, Frans Timmermans, and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh signed the new agreement in the presence of President Irfaan Ali, who commended the EU for its unwavering support and pivotal role in providing support, promoting democracy, and bolstering governance in the country.

Ali said Guyana’s policy framework prioritises environmental protection, embracing climate-smart approaches, and harnessing the country’s rich natural resources to improve livelihoods and foster economic opportunities.

“We have committed to expanding the protected area system from 8.3 per cent to 17 per cent, then eventually to 30 per cent. And these are targets that we are aggressively working towards. These are targets that are integrated into our planning framework, and our policy making framework,” he said.

Guyana’s forest spans an estimated 18 million hectares, and the extensive mangrove ecosystems occupy over 200,000 hectares of the coastal region. The country’s coastal sea defence system extends over 425 kilometres, complemented by an additional 100 kilometres of earthen embankments along rivers, which are inhabited areas.

“One of the things that we want the project to focus on is those earthen embankment and those riverine areas, where the population might be small, but agricultural output in those areas is very large,” Ali said, stressing that the project’s scope will also include the monitoring of mangrove seedling planting, the rehabilitation of existing forests, and the establishment of robust nursery programmes for aggressive replanting efforts.

The project will be implemented by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works.

Extracted and edited from CMC/