Sustainable Management of the Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment and People

This monitoring programme of the Rupununi Wetlands, a project of the the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species, aims to develop a better understanding of the impacts of different land uses on the wetlands. The project began in January 2004.

>Project Update

The Rupununi Wetlands are very important, providing many direct and indirect benefits, including food, water quality, recreation and water catchment. Understanding how land uses impact Rupununi Wetlands System is important as it gives an indication on how these uses may affect the habitats and populations of both the people and wildlife in the area.

Over the next two years, the Wetlands Monitoring Programme proposes to monitor 30 sites within the Iwokrama Forest and along the rivers and savannah of the North Rupununi. The monitoring will observe seasonal changes in the vegetation, water chemistry and land use activities.

The trained project staff began the monitoring in April 2004. They will continue for two more years providing vital information as to the natural cycle of change and distribution within the system and to the impact that land use change such as mining is having within the region.

The project is working to monitor and manage the wildlife rich area of the Rupununi. It is hoped that the monitoring protocol and management approach spreads and the project will then have a major impact on the future of the region, its people and biodiversity. These observations will provide data for the formulation and implementation of a management plan for the North Rupununi Wetlands.

Information collected will also give an overall view of the wetlands' current status. This will assist the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) and Iwokrama in their efforts to lobby the Government of Guyana to have the Rupununi Wetlands registered as the first Ramsar Wetlands Site of International Importance in Guyana in the Government's bid to accede to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Project Partners

In addition to the Darwin Initiative, the other project partners are:

Environmental Protection Agency - Support for co-management planning, linking project outputs to National Biodiversity Action Plan goals, development of data management systems for long-term monitoring purposes

University of Guyana - Supervision of Master's degree student researcher, biodiversity monitoring, wetlands research support

NRDDB - Coordination of field support, logistical support and data management

Iwokrama - Liaison with partner organizations, day-to-day management of field researchers, ecological monitoring and assessment of key species