Guianas Regional Mangrove Ecosystems Training Workshop

– Participants benefit from networking opportunities

The recently held Guianas Regional Mangrove Ecosystems Training Workshop has created a network for the sharing of pertinent information to the benefit of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) that has been conducting research on this ecosystem.

This is according to Kene Moseley, Coordinator of NAREI’s Mangrove Restoration and Management Department, who was part of a team that represented Guyana at the workshop held in Coronie, Suriname from May 6 to 10, 2019.

WWF Guianas together with Stichting SORTS Suriname and the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) organized the Workshop funded by the SRJS programme (WWF NL and IUCN NL). It was attended by over 25 participants from Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. They represented NGOs, Government, Universities, local communities, entrepreneurs and private sector among others. Guyana was represented by NAREI, World Wildlife Fund Guyana, Civil Defence Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana Forestry Commission, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, University of Guyana and Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Sea & River Defence Division.

The event allowed subject experts from the Region and other countries to share information during theoretical and practical field sessions. NAREI’s team made three presentations and was involved in meaningful discussions. Moseley presented on Guyana’s mangrove restoration experience and the livelihood component. Zola Narine, Monitoring and GIS Officer presented on migratory and shore birds; and Rudolph Adams, Monitoring Officer was part of a discussion focused on mangroves restoration and monitoring.

Moseley related that each country presented on the status of mangrove management and conservation and the challenges. She explained that French Guiana offered information on mud bank movement, which is of importance to NAREI’s ongoing restoration programme. As a follow-up, NAREI is expected to collaborate with Professor Edward Anthony, an expert in mud bank movements, to build local knowledge and capacity in collaboration with University of Guyana.

She noted that Suriname is currently conducting a pilot project on trapping sediments, using similar technologies to what NAREI has been utilizing. Moseley believes that this presents a good avenue for information sharing and collaboration.