EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT NATURE IN SURINAME The forests of southern Suriname provide over 70 percent of the nation’s freshwater resources, house vast biodiversity and unique cultural heritage—and store upwards of 5.2 million gigatons of carbon.
The Wayana and Trio Indigenous communities are the key stakeholders in the SSCC. It is essential that they are empowered to lead the process of zoning, management nd monitoring of the corridor from the groundup—and that in return, they receive a flow of both short- and long-term benefits.
SOUTH SURINAME CONSERVATION CORRIDOR
To that end, CI Suriname is currently assessing the feasibility of conservation agreements, an approach developed by CI’s Conservation Stewards Program that provides a negotiated benefits package to communities in exchange for conservation actions.
© CRISTINA MITTERMEIER
To conserve this critical ecosystem, Conservation International (CI) Suriname engaged with the Trio and Wayana indigenous communities, along with the President of the Republic of Suriname, to establish a 7.2 million-hectare protected area—almost half of the nation’s entire land surface. In March 2015, indigenous leaders signed an Indigenous Declaration for Protection, officially declaring the South Suriname Conservation Corridor (SSCC).
Stakeholder engagement
Local capacity
Sustainable business models
In order to maintain community involvement and empower the indigenous communities to be involved and to stay in touch with their values and traditions, expectations and expertise, we will organize a series of krutus (traditional meetings) in South Suriname and in Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo. During these meetings, priorities for local communities and other stakeholders will be set and zoning of the specific areas will be initiated.
By supporting and facilitating the indigenous peoples’ to-be-established representative body, Telawa (an organizational structure requested by tribal leaders), CI Suriname will empower the communities to lead the SSCC process and develop and improve basic livelihood conditions (e.g., education, medical care, energy, water supply, transportation and communication).
Because the local communities do not retain the permanent land titles to their forests, CI Suriname aims to develop a structure through which communities can make a living by conserving the forest and maintaining biodiversity. Projects that increase income and employment opportunities could include agriculture (niche products such as brazil nuts, pepper), eco-tourism and handicraft development. The focus will be to provide training and financing for sustainable production methods, quality control and development of market access.
Š TROND LARSEN
Are you interested in supporting our work with the indigenous communities of South Suriname? Contact: Ramses Man | rman@conservation.org