Some 500 hectares of mangroves have been restored since the 2010 launch of the government’s mangrove restoration project which is aimed at protecting and conserving these natural resources.
This was announced by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during his message in commemoration of UNESCO’s International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
Since its inception, the mangrove restoration programme has implemented a range of restoration interventions along the coast in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Mangroves provide added protection to coastal communities from rising tides and increase incidents of storm surges.
He said too that these actions will contribute to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and achievements of international commitments linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
For 2021, $51 million has been committed to the Mangrove Management Capital programme to support the construction of rock and geotextile tube groynes that will serve to create a suitable habitat to support the restoration of the mangroves along the East Coast of Demerara at Beterverwagting, La Bonne Intention and Non Pariel.
The 2021 Mangrove Capital programme will also support the completion of topographic surveys to monitor shoreline elevation in Regions Two and Four.
To support long-term planning and management, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI )is working to develop an updated National Mangrove Management Action Plan with support from partners at Conservation International-Guyana. The new Action Plan will provide a road map to guide Guyana’s mangrove conservation and management for the next ten years.
