Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

No critically endangered mammals are known to occur in Guyana. Guyana’s species status was estimated as 8,000 plant, 467 fish, 130 amphibian, 179 reptile, 814 bird, 225 mammal, 1,673 arthropod, over 1,200 fungi, 33 bacteria, 13 nematode, 44 algae, 17 mollusc, and an estimated 30 virus [ ] 118 Guyana’s biodiversity-related strategies In preparation for the fifth national report, Guyana enacted multiple bio- diversity-related strategies. National policies were developed including the National Forest Policy, National Land Use Policy, Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and National Biosafety Framework. National strategies were developed to assist in biodiversity management and protection, includ- ing the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and Protected Areas Strategy. National Plans were also developed including the National Forest Plan, National Protected Areas System Plan, National Land Use Plan, and the National Mangrove Management Action Plan. Key pieces of legislation were enacted to conserve and protect biodiversity including the Wildlife Management and Conservation Reg- ulations (2013), Species Protection Regulations (1999), Protected Areas Act (2011), the Forest Act (2009), and the Hydro-Electric Power Amend- ment Act (2013) which allows for the creation of biodiversity offsets. The Wildlife Management and Conservation Regulations were gazet- ted in 2013 and the Wildlife Import and Export, Biosafety and ABS legis- lation are currently being developed. In 2014, Guyana acceded to the Na- goya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. Institutional and governance arrangements were strengthened with the creation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environ- ment (MNRE) in 2011 which has as its primary focus the harmonizing of policy and management in the natural resources-based sectors, and better mainstreaming of conservation and environmental management. All the natural resources related Agencies and Commissions are now under the purview of the Ministry. A Costed Strategic Framework 2013–2018 for the MNRE was also prepared. Significant progress was made regarding protected areas including the establishment of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and two new protected areas (Kanu- ku Mountain Protected Area and the Shell Beach Protected Area), efforts to create the National Protected Areas Trust Fund, development of a stra- tegic plan for the PAC, development of a plan for the NPAS, management plans for individual protected areas, and establishing field presence in protected areas. Guyana’s LCDS provided the framework to reconcile protection of the rainforest while pursuing economically rational de- velopment. In 2009, the government of Guyana launched this innovative strategy to pursue low carbon eco- nomic development while conserving forests in an effort to support global climate change mitigation and earn revenue from forest climate services. Through the LCDS and partnership with Norway, Guyana is implement- ing one of the first models of avoided deforestation G uyana is situated in the neo-tropical biogeographical territory of north-eastern South America and is also part of the Guiana Shield region which forms part of the Amazon Biome. The Amazon Biome, spanning 6.7 millionkm 2 is the single largest remaining tropical rainforest in the world and is home to at least 10 per cent of the world’s known biodiversity. Guyana is home to a vast expanse of primary tropical forest, freshwater and other unique ecosystems. Guyana consists of four main natural regions: coastal plain, hilly sand and clay region, interior savannas and forested highlands. Guianian cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola) Bernard Dupont on flickr Guyana