The 5th Oiapoque River Council, a local consultative body for exchange on cross-border issues between Brazil and French Guiana, was held on May 26 in Saint-Georges (French Guiana).
About thirty participants from institutions local authorities and civil society of the two territories discussed a range of topics including health, education, the economy but also the environment and waste management, during which the BIO-PLATEAUX project was presented.
The sub-prefect of Saint-Georges, Guillaume Brault, and Amapa's Secretary of State for International Relations and Foreign Trade (SECRICOMEX), Lucas Abrahao, led the river council. Its objectif is to promote dialogue between border stakeholders and bring up proposals submitted to the Transboundary Joint Committee (CMT) to be held in early July 2023.
In this context, a BIO-PLATEAUX delegation composed of Guyanese and Brazilian partners had the opportunity to present the project as an example of cross-border collaboration in integrated water resource management (IWRM). The delegation included :
- Patrick CANTUARIA: Vice-secretary of the Amapa State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA)
- Patrick LECANTE: President of the French Guiana Water and Biodiversity Committee (CEB), administrator of the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) and Mayor of Montsinéry-Tonnégrande.
- Franck CHOW TOUN: Head of planning at the French Guiana Water Board (OEG) and Guiana's focal point for the BIO-PLATEAUX project.
- Luken DELINTHE: Local coordinator for the BIO-PLATEAUX project at the International Office for Water (OIEau)
The first phase of the project, completed in 2022, laid the foundations for transboundary coordination in water resource management, promoting the exchange and development of knowledge and initiating joint technical work. The River Council provided an opportunity to highlight the launch of the second phase of the project, with a view to prefiguring a cross-border observatory as a decision-making tool for the management of shared water resources.
In addition to renewed financial support from European and Guyanese partners (PCIA, OFB, CNES, OEG, CTG, DGTM), Secretary of State Lucas Abrahao closed the sequence by reaffirming his support for BIO-PLATEAUX as the project's Brazilian focal point, and announced the financial involvement of SECRICOMEX in the project.
Picture: Guillaume Brault, Sub-Prefect of Saint Georges and Lucas Abrahao, Secretary of State at SECRICOMEX