British to fund marine conservation in Barima-Mora Passage, Mahaica River

…2 local organisations receive £49,000 grants

One of the four components of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) sustainable blue economy programme is to assist Guyana and other countries in their efforts to preserve marine ecosystems and increase prosperity. The blue economy is a nascent notion that promotes innovation, sustainable resource extraction, and care for the oceans and their vital blue resources.
In this regard, the British High Commission in Guyana on Thursday announced the inauguration of the Blue Social Challenge Fund pilot.
Some £49,000 will be used to finance marine conservation in the Barima-Mora Passage in Region One (Barima-Waini), and raise awareness of critical marine ecosystems and wetland ecosystems in the Mahaica River in Region Five.
Two local environmental conservation organisations —Guyana Marine Conservation Society, and EMC Foundation —have received funding for their pilot projects in the amounts of £25,000 and £24,000 respectively. The pilot will end in March, in preparation for the official launch of the fund this year. Once launched, the fund would support non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations, local authorities, and non-state actors who operate locally to build the resilience of vulnerable communities in small island developing states (SIDS) to the impacts of climate change.
“We believe that challenge funds are an effective way to incentivise innovation. If done right, they can solve problems, bring diverse stakeholders together, and help fund and support the most agile solutions for challenges faced at the community level,” remarked acting British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, at Thursday’s launch.

Unlock potential
Quinn has said the Social Challenge Fund is very happy to be helping the Guyana Marine Conservation Society to carry out its work in the Barima-Mora Passage, Guyana’s largest and most intact mangrove ecosystem. This ecosystem is just under 50,000 hectares in size, is rich in biodiversity, and is a blue-carbon hotspot. Hinting at the foregoing information, Quinn has said this is the reason the pilot is so crucial. He noted that the British Government is expecting it would highlight what is effective, what should be implemented, and what might not be feasible.
“What we are keen to see happen is for communities to unlock the potential of their blue economy,” he disclosed.
Through conservation efforts, Quinn said, communities would also be able to ensure reduced climate vulnerability — something very important in Guyana.
“The Fund aims to ensure that the potential benefits of a nation’s growing economic sectors can be accessed by all and shared by all. This is done by addressing key developmental issues of marginal and coastal marine communities and vulnerable groups within those communities,” he explained.
Quinn has said that work would be done, particularly with women and girls, in the area of addressing key development issues of marginal and coastal marine communities; in order to help increase the communities’ capacities for monitoring, and their awareness of the need to conserve, important marine and mangrove ecosystems in order to improve the blue economy and foster climate resilience.

Raise awareness
The Blue Social Challenge Fund, according to him, would work along with the EMC Foundation to campaign and build awareness of critical marine ecosystems, together with the wetlands’ ecosystems in the Mahaica River.
Established by Shyam Nokta, winner of the 2022 Anthony N Sabga Award for Entrepreneurship, the EMC Foundation aims to support environmental awareness and education in Guyana by promoting activities that encourage greater understanding of the environment, create a network to connect likeminded people, and provide opportunities to experience Guyana’s rich natural environment.

“What we have noticed is that many Guyanese are not aware of the benefits and importance of preserving their blue economy resources. Through this project, we will work with the (EMC) Foundation to cultivate awareness and collective commitment toward the preservation and sustainable conservation of the Mahaica wetland and mangrove ecosystems”, Quinn has said.

Employment for women and girls
Annette Arjoon-Martins, founder of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS), has expressed gratitude to the British High Commission for their support of the project, and mentioned that it would give jobs to Amerindian women and girls.
The Warrau people have lived in the Barima-Mora Passage for more than 11,000 years, she explained, and although the men and boys work in the extractive industries (fishing, forestry, and gold mining), employment options for women and girls are limited.
“So, when we were given the opportunity to have this project with the British High Commission, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s move away from the traditional making of cassava bread and cassareep, which is beautiful in itself. But let’s see how we can arm these girls with technology to provide ecosystem services in monitoring the mangroves and the coastline at Shell Beach’. Four species of sea turtles nest there every year from March to August,” Arjoon -Martins has said. She said seven girls will be beneficiaries of this pilot.

Visual Chronicles of the Mahaica Wetlands and Mangroves
At the launch of this Social Challenge Fund pilot project, it was disclosed that the EMC Foundation has been operating in the mangroves and wetlands of Mahaica because those are vital ecosystems that supply fresh water to the local inhabitants, and serve as a significant source of revenue.
The Foundation has been collaborating with community members and a well-known farmer, who runs the Mahaica River Birding Tour, to develop capacity and offer training in order to promote more eco-tourism initiatives that generate revenue and support long-term conservation in the area.
The EMC Foundation is currently preparing to launch its project, called the Visual Chronicles of the Mahaica Wetlands and Mangroves. (G1)