Programme

The coast of French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana, (the Guiana Bight), is one of the most important areas for migratory shorebirds in the Americas. Year after year, millions of these long-distance migrants depend on the extensive mudflats and mangroves of this “Green Coast” to refuel and rest. They share these habitats with local communities that live along the coastal plain and depend on natural resources for their daily livelihoods (e.g., for fishing, small-scale agriculture, ecotourism). These coastal areas also provide important ecological services, such as purifying water and protecting the mainland from storm surges and rising sea levels. Further, the largely intact mangroves along the Guiana Bight store huge amounts of CO2.

Despite the critical importance of these habitats, threats are many, and growing rapidly. The natural integrity of the coast and its resources are under great pressure due to poverty, unsustainable use of natural resources and, perhaps most pressing, the international interest in offshore oil reserves. The discovery of significant offshore oil reserves in the Guiana Basin has already led to a “fever of development”. Protected areas have been established in the coastal zone of all three countries. However, many suffer from inadequate technical and financial management capabilities, and lack of human capacity is also a factor limiting effectiveness. Safeguarding the natural resources of the Guiana Bight is dependent on trilateral measures that protect and safeguard the shared coastal zone as one functionally-intact ecological entity.

The main objectives that together will form the pillars of the conservation plan for the coastal ecosystems of the Guiana Bight include:

• Conduct a region-wide stakeholder analysis and capacity assessment of key stakeholders.
• Undertake a gap analysis of existing conservation efforts, ecological knowledge and a regional threat assessment to inform the selection of conservation targets and priorities.
• Develop a conceptual model and conservation plan for the Guianas Bight, with a focus on identifying priority strategies and actions.
• Build capacity in good governance to support implementation of the conservation plan.
• Consolidate habitat management and restoration at Bigi Pan MUMA as a case-study for effective conservation action with local community support.