Regional workshop on the transmission of living cultural heritage in the protected areas of Guyana, Nappi Village, Guyana © Parc Amazonien de Guyane.
"Beyond Borders" ... Let's get inspired !
Launched in 2018, the RENFORESAP program is a multi-partner transnational action led by the Parc amazonien de Guyane ( French Guiana) in collaboration with the Commission of Protected Areas of Guyana, the Ministry of Regional Development and Sport and the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management of Suriname.
The three countries of the Guiana Shield share a common good: one of the largest tropical forests in the world, sheltering an exceptional fauna and flora. This region is also home to indigenous communities, Creoles and Maroons, whose lifestyles and cultural diversity constitute a unique interest for the world heritage.
In the field of environment and sustainable development, these three countries nevertheless face common challenges. Illegal gold mining, loss of biodiversity, lack of economic opportunities and weakening of cultural transmission represent real threats to the balance if the region.
In this context, many actors on the Guiana Shield - protected areas, public institutions, NGOs, communities of inhabitants - are gathering to find appropriate solutions. These experiences are valuable for the entire working community, beyond borders. Sharing experience, facilitating dialogue between protected areas’ managers, discussing common themes: this is what the Renforesap project has enabled for three years.
From 2018 to 2021, several actions led to a network of more than 500 members, including the active participation of more than 300 people in 7 sub-regional meetings in the following activities :
- 3 regional workshops,
- 1 round table hosted as a side-event during a scientific symposium on the Guiana Shield and,
- 2 meetings organized in connection with the IAPA program - an initiative of the South American protected areas network, REDPARQUES.
For the implementation, 4 thematic areas received particular attention:
- Ecotourism development,
- Participatory science for the sustainable management of natural resources,
- Strategies against the threats from illegal gold mining and,
- Transmission of living cultural heritage.
The project is executed by a coordinator based successively in the 3 countries, with as relays the institutions, protected area managers and other concerned technical partners. The working language is English, with the main general documents available in three languages (Dutch, English, French).
Through these workshops and the conception of 4 thematic overviews, the RENFORESAP program hopes to provide better visibility to the biodiversity conservation issues of the Guiana Shield.
Find all the information and publications related to RENFORESAP via the following link: www.renforesap.com
RENFORESAP is 74% funded by the European funds of the Amazon Interreg Cooperation Program (PCIA) and also benefits from the financial support of the French Development Agency (AFD), Directorate General of Territories and Sea of French Guiana (DGTM) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM).
