Guyana, Field Museum renew scientific partnership

The government and the Field Museum of Natural History signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU), extending a scientific partnership that dates to the 1920s.

The agreement was signed on Friday at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Georgetown.

It will see the Chicago-based museum’s conservation experts continue working with their Guyanese counterparts on rapid biodiversity inventories, research and the establishment of conservation areas.

British Member of Parliament, David Lammy, who introduced the signing, said the partnership reflects President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s view that research must lead to action.

“Research is not meant to be on the shelves. Research is meant to influence change,” he said, recalling President Ali’s words.

Chief Scientific Officer of the Field Museum, Thorsten Lumbsch, said the agreement is grounded in the belief that understanding a place, including its biodiversity, its people and their knowledge, lays the foundation for protecting it.

“We are honoured…to help sustain the extraordinary natural heritage of this wonderful country for generations to come,” he said.

The Villars Institute also signed a Letter of Intent at the conference.

The Swiss foundation, established five years ago, is working under the GBA alongside the Private Sector Commission and the government.

It will facilitate dialogue between local and global investors. The aim is to position Guyana as a nature-positive destination for investment and to give international leaders a space to listen, learn and engage more meaningfully.

“We will do everything we can to bring those worlds together,” Emma Benameur, Director of Leadership and Learning at the Villars Institute, said.

The two agreements will advance Guyana’s biodiversity conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, day one of the GBA conference also featured a collective US$12.5 million pledge from philanthropic partners including the Rainforest Trust, Bezos Earth Fund, Andes Amazon Fund, and Nia Tero. The finances will help Guyana protect the Akarai-Rupununi Corridor and advance its 30×30 conservation goals. [DPI]