Guyana to designate 3.7 million acres of forest as protected area – News Room Guyana
By Vishani Ragobeer in New York
The Irfaan Ali-led Government is advancing plans to designate a large section of intact forest in southeastern Guyana as a protected area, a move expected to boost longstanding conservation efforts.
This was highlighted by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday at a United Nations 30×30 Leaders Event, which focused on accelerating global action to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030.
The Head of State told the gathering that Guyana is advancing plans to designate approximately 1.5 million hectares, or 3.7 million acres, of pristine, biodiversity-rich, and largely intact forest within the State forest in the Acarai-Rupununi corridor as a permanent conservation area.
PROTECTED AREAS
About 85% of Guyana’s landmass is covered by forest, and about 9% of the country’s landmass currently falls under protected status, spread across Kanashen, the Kaieteur National Park, the Kanuku Mountains, Shell Beach, and the Iwokrama Forest.
A protected area is a geographic space placed under legal protection to conserve its unique biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural heritage, while securing the natural resources found there.
Now, there’s the Acarai forest.
An international team of scientists and Indigenous experts surveyed the 1.5 million-hectare Acarai-Corentyne Corridor in November 2024, discovering more than 30 species new to science and dozens more never before recorded in the country. The findings were presented at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in Georgetown. The alliance was founded by Guyana under President Ali’s leadership.
“As this process moves forward, this area will likely be one of the largest single blocks of permanent conservation designated globally by a High Forest Cover, Low Deforestation (HFLD) country. It would also make a significant contribution to Guyana’s 30×30 ambition and could effectively double the country’s area under permanent conservation,” President Ali said.
Protecting this area is part of Guyana’s commitment to a global goal to protect nature. In December 2022, more than 190 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as the Biodiversity Plan) — an international commitment to better protect the planet that sustains us all.
The framework includes 23 targets aimed at reversing habitat and species loss. Target three, better known as “30×30,” specifically calls for the effective protection and management of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030.
Establishing protected areas isn’t the only way the Guyana Government is addressing environmental concerns. The Ali Government has an overarching Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which guides sustainable development efforts. Part of this strategy includes a forest monitoring, reporting, and verification system, and mechanisms to mobilise international climate finance for standing forests, based on verified results.
Additionally, the President said the plan empowers Indigenous peoples.
“Through the LCDS, Guyana is directing 20 percent of forest-carbon revenues to Indigenous and forest communities, supporting priorities identified by communities themselves through Village Sustainability Plans. This is important because 30×30 will only succeed if conservation is developed in a people-centred way,” he said.
Guyana has also founded the Global Biodiversity Alliance, a global initiative to strengthen international cooperation and help biodiversity-rich countries develop conservation initiatives by mobilising finance, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships at scale. The President believes more global partnerships are needed to protect biodiversity.
Guyana will host the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) Conference and Financing Forum on October 30 and 31, 2026, with a focus on securing public and private investment to protect nature and support sustainable development.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
