Deep inside Guyana: the beautiful and biodiverse Rupununi region
By Benedicte de Waziers
Deep inside Guyana’s territory hides an enigmatic ecosystem that few people have heard of. The Rupununi region–Raponani in Carib–is located in the Takutu basin in Southern Guyana. The Rupununi is home to many Amerindian tribes, including the Makushi.
Despite its fast-growing population and urbanization, the Rupununi provides invaluable services for its inhabitants. The majority of the Makushi people settle along the region’s rivers and rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods. For instance, hunting and fishing are regular and important activities for the Makushi whose protein intake comes mainly from wild animals (60% from fish).
The northern Rupununi wetlands play a critical role in maintaining the overall health and functioning of the rivers providing important services to Makushi such as flood control, food, and economic vitality. The Makushi benefit from many other “free” ecosystem services provided by the forests, savannas, and wetlands of the Rupununi. For example, the Makushi depend on plants for medicinal purposes and trees to build their homes.
In addition to the services that ecosystems contribute to local well-being, Guyana also has a significant impact on global systems through its role as a carbon sink. Guyana’s largely undisturbed forests are carbon rich, sequestering nearly 300 tons of CO2 equivalent in one hectare. These forests, covering more than 18 million hectares, hold an estimated 5 gigatons in CO2 equivalent. The greenhouse gas emissions that would result from the destruction of Guyana’s forests are equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 1 billion cars.
The Rupununi is also home to many rare and endemic species. It is particularly rich in bat diversity, with 90 species of bats. In all, the Rupununi has over 1,400 vertebrate species, including the giant river otter, jaguar, black caiman, harpy eagle, and Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock (rupicola rupicola).
Ranching, mining, and agriculture are increasingly putting pressure on this ecosystem of global importance. It is in our hands to ensure this unique source of capital–natural capital–keeps providing life-supporting benefits to the Makushi and generates sustained regional growth.
To learn about what the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is doing to help the LAC Region sustainably manage ecosystems, visit www.iadb.org/biodiversity or follow us at @BIDEcosistemas. Benedicte de Waziers is the Communication Specialist for the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Program launched in March 2013 by the Inter-American Development Bank.