Rupununi Wetlands

Campaign to preserve Rupununi wetlands sharpening focus
Saturday, January 27th 2007

Stakeholders in the North Rupununi Wetlands project on Tuesday took the first step towards identifying hindrances and coming up with programmes to preserve and sustainably manage the rich ecosystem found there.

This is being done through an initiative titled the North Rupununi Adaptive Management Plan (NRAMP), which seeks to take the three-year old Wetlands Project forward. This project is being done with funding from the Darwin Initiative and seeks to manage in a sustainable way the ecology found in the wetlands and to address the economic concerns of residents through sustainable use of that ecosystem.

At a workshop held at the University of Guyana's Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, Turkeyen, on Tuesday, the stakeholders discussed the boundaries of the wetland area, the important agencies and their roles and the threats to these important wetlands and solutions to these management problems. Organised by the North Rupununi Wetlands Project team, the workshop aimed to produce a press release on the way forward and to understand the impact the NRAMP process is having.

At the workshop, the attendees broke up into three working groups to discuss three broad themes: the North Rupununi Wetlands and the boundaries that define them; the stakeholders of the North Rupununi Wetlands and their relationship to the wetlands; and relevant management initiatives related to the North Rupununi Wetlands, such as fisheries management, the Giant River Turtle and the Black Caiman.

Indranee Roopsind and Lakeram Haynes gave a review of the project before the participants broke into groups.

Represented at the workshop were the North Rupununi District Development Board; WWF, Conservation International; the Iwokrama International Centre; the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); the Environmental Protection Agency (GFC); the University of Guyana; Piyakîita Resource Management Unit (Ministry of Amerindian Affairs); Royal Holloway University of London; Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust; and The Open University.

According to the Wetlands team, the North Rupununi Wetlands are important because of the amazing diversity of wildlife found there, the uniqueness of their cultural heritage and the natural resources they provide.

"These resources, such as fish, are essential to sustaining local people and their livelihoods. It is recognized by the workshop that threats to these wetlands require effective management to maintain this unique region," a press release from the team following the workshop said.

For the purposes of management, the team proposed that the core area of the North Rupununi Wetlands include all land areas historically and traditionally used by the Makushi, areas that sustain populations of the `Giants of El Dorado' (Giant River Otter, Jaguar, Giant Anteater, Arapaima, Anaconda, Giant River Turtle, Harpy Eagle), areas that have been studied for their rich biodiversity.

"We recognize that activities, such as mining, occurring within the wider area can impact on the wildlife and people of the North Rupununi. For example, pollution in the South Rupununi or over-fishing in the Ireng River could impact severely on the wetlands and the people of the North Rupununi. The North Rupununi Wetlands wider area includes places from where water flows into the Rupununi River, the Siparuni River, the Ireng River from Guyanese lands and parts of the upper reaches of the Essequibo. It also includes river and land migration routes for species such as fish and important species breeding areas," the release from the team said.

According to the release, there are many different stakeholder groups concerned with natural resource management within the North Rupununi. These range from government, non-government organizations, communities, commercial interests to individual people. "These groups and individuals have varying capacity to implement management and often have conflicting and overlapping roles. To clarify the management of natural resources it is recognized by the workshop that management of the North Rupununi Wetlands should be undertaken by community organizations and in particular the NRDDB," the release said.

It added that other organisations and agencies should support the NRDDB in the implementation of natural resource management. "In particular regulatory, education and conservation/research organizations should actively support the NRDDB. Commercial, social service, enforcement, donor and public action groups should provide advice and input where necessary," said the Wetlands team.

The team fully recognises that there are several issues that require immediate and practical solutions. These include pollution, over harvesting, irresponsible hunting, and unregulated mining that result in the loss of species in general, as well as more specifically, the destruction of inland fisheries. "It has been recognised that the major issue restricting the proper management of the North Rupununi Wetlands is the current lack of legislation/appropriate legislation and in cases where there is legislation, the lack of resources (financial, human and technical capacity) and awareness to implement and enforce these laws," the release said.

The team proposed that agencies such as the EPA, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC), and other such agencies would need to have a representative at the local level. It said that this would not only provide a rapid response to incidents, but would also be a step towards raising awareness and clearly defining the roles of these various agencies in natural resource management.

"We recognize that the current management initiatives within the North Rupununi Wetlands such as the Arapaima Management Plan, Piyakîita Resource Management Unit and the North Rupununi Adaptive Management Plan, should include all stakeholders so that efforts are not replicated, and resources are used wisely to promote the development of community livelihoods," the team stated.

In concluding, the team said that it is important to emphasise that the strengthening of local authorities to police natural resource use by persons from both within and outside of the North Rupununi Wetlands is pivotal in collaboratively managing this region.

NRAMP is part educational (capacity building), a database, and a management plan mostly focusing on a process of stakeholder engagement and the development of a shared understanding.

The NRAMP process can be defined by five terms: adaptive; participative; holistic; evidence based; and practical. This process allows management of natural resources to be planned and implemented by local people, for local people. Over the long term, the project will initiate capacity building and income generation within the NRAMP.

The North Rupununi Wetlands Project team include the NRDDB; Iwokrama; the EPA; UG; Royal Holloway University of London; Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust; and The Open University.

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