Wai-Wais ink historic forest conservation deal

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529737

Wai-Wais ink historic forest conservation deal
By Gaulbert Sutherland
Stabroek News, Friday, September 28th 2007

Welcome to Masakenari: Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn
Rodrigues (left) being accorded a traditional greeting on arrival at
the Wai-Wai community on Wednesday.

Guyana's first local Community-Owned Conservation Area (COCA) was
officially established with the signing of an agreement between the Wai
Wai community of Masakenari and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn
Rodrigues on Wednesday.

This followed months of consultations with villagers and commits an
area of forest approximately 625,000 hectares (just over a million
acres), held by the Wai-Wais in southern Guyana for conservation
purposes. Residents will manage the area in accordance with rules,
which the minister approved on Wednesday. The rules will allow the
residents of the community to utilize the resources in a sustainable
manner.

After gaining title to the land in 2004, the community had expressed a
desire to establish it as a conservation area, and as a result, signed
a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with the government and Conservation
International (CI). A release from CI at the time said that under the
MOC, the parties will work together to jointly evaluate the ongoing
resource use, the needs of the Wai-Wais and the impact of traditional
land uses on biodiversity and eco-systems. Other stated aims were to
increase local, national and global awareness about the importance of
bio-diversity and eco-systems in the Konashen District and develop
sustainable land and resource use practices that satisfy the needs of
the Wai-Wais while conserving ecosystems and biodiversity. The MOC also
set out to identify and address threats to the integrity of the
Konashen District and identify and develop income-generating projects
and potential sources of funding for the projects.

On hand to witness the historic ceremony held inside a traditional
benab at the remote Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo)
community were villagers, representatives of CI, Regional Chairman
Clarindo Lucas and indigenous persons from Brazil, Suriname and French
Guiana as well as residents of surrounding communities.

The rules under which the area will be managed are the first set
enacted under the Amerindian Act and will be the by-laws of the
village. The document is to be gazetted.

A section of the gathering that witnessed the signing of a document
that officially established the 625,000 hectares of land held by the
Wai-Wais as a community owned conservation area. This was on Wednesday
at Masakenari in southern Guyana.

Rodrigues promised the Wai-Wais on Wednesday that when legislation was
enacted to establish a National Protected Areas System (NPAS), the
isolated community would be among the first included.

The minister, describing the occasion as a "historic achievement"
expressed happiness that after months of work the first community-owned
conservation area was being established. She noted that it was the
"first one in the history of Guyana owned by the most remote Amerindian
community". She declared that Masakenari was setting the example for
other Amerindian communities in Guyana and asserted that "the community
would benefit even more in the long run with all the international
attention being given to standing forests".

Meanwhile, giving an overview of the project, CI's Biodiversity Analyst
Curtis Bernard said the process began when the community was given
absolute grant to 625,000 hectares of land in February 2004. He said
the community approached the organization to assist in developing a
management plan for the land and the MOC was signed. Since then, he
said, the organization worked with the community "in a very
participatory way", with the village leading the process. He said
meetings were held, the plan was publicised and capacity building was
undertaken. The community had formulated several goals including family
development, community development, keeping of the traditional way of
life and maintaining biodiversity. Bernard noted that there was still a
long road ahead and the community will be supported in managing the
land.

Speaking with Stabroek News shortly after, Bernard said the next step
would be the finalization of the management plan "to do the things the
community is setting out to do". He said this was likely to happen by
early next year and stressed the continued involvement of his
organization. He noted that the area was identified to be part of the
NPAS and CI would continue to work with the leadership group to manage
it.

Bernard said the community was very interested in tourism and "various
other business activities such as hosting researchers" adding that to
an extent that was already happening and scientists had expressed
interest in visiting the area. The community had previously hosted a
group of CI-led scientists who had conducted a Rapid Assessment
Programme (RAP) of the area's biodiversity.

The biodiversity analyst added the craftwork of the Wai-Wai community
was unique and there was a market for it; it was just a matter of
linking production with the marketplace. He noted that there were
similar community-owned conservation areas in South America, notably in
Brazil though they may not have the same structure.

Yowkari Mawasha, a community representative, said that since the 1930s,
"there was a vision of our leaders and forefathers that one day we
would be the owner of the land". He noted that in 2004 this was
realized when the absolute grant was handed over to the Konashen
village council. He said the community has three main goals,
conservation of the biodiversity, family development through provision
of jobs and community development. "The support needed is to continue
building our capacity to manage this area to benefit the community,
country and the world at large," he asserted.

Residents who spoke with Stabroek News afterwards described the
agreement as "alright", with some stating that there were already
changes within the village since the partnership with CI.

The 625,000 hectares of titled land is the largest plot held by any
indigenous group in Guyana. The just over 200 persons who reside there
mainly members of the Wai-Wai nation.