Amsterdam, 8 Feb 2023 — The European Union has approved a grant of ten million euros for the project ‘Sustainable Forest Livelihood for communities of Guyana and Suriname’.
The protection and sustainable use of the Amazon rainforest in Suriname and Guyana is the main goal of this project. The intention is that the Foundation for Forest Management and Bostoezicht (SBB) will receive one million euros of these ten million euros to strengthen its own organization and to be able to do its work better as a result.
The money donated by the EU will be managed by the French Development Organization in Suriname (AFD). This is confirmed by both Pierre Bourguignon, director of the FDA in Suriname and Guyana, and Rene van Nes, ambassador of the EU in Suriname. WWF Guianas has been chosen as the local implementing partner.
Half of the ten million euros will be spent in Suriname and half in Guyana. The Sustainable Forest Livelihood for communities of Guyana and Suriname project falls within the context of the Amazon Basin Team Europe initiative that pursues the same goals in the Amazon region.
This includes the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. “The countries all consist largely of Amazon rainforest and often face the same challenges,” says Van Nes.
Bourguignon explains that the signing of this project was preceded by a period of nine months to examine exactly what the situation is in both countries. “This research has resulted in WWF Guianas being chosen as the implementing local partner for this project.”
