NCI 2024
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    Guyana’s landscape is marked by a rich variety of ecosystems, including rainforests, montane forests, swamps, marshes, dry evergreen forests, seasonal forests, and mangroves, providing a rich habitat for diverse flora and fauna. As one of the eight countries that are part of the Treaty of Amazonian Cooperation (ACTO), Guyana contributes significantly to the biodiversity of the Amazon, home to the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

    In the Rupununi region, the landscape comprises savannahs, wetlands, and forests, all shaped by seasonal rain and flood cycles. This region is also the ancestral home of Indigenous communities who have depended on these lands for thousands of years, relying on farming, fishing, and hunting for their livelihoods. Furthermore, Guyana stands out as one of South America’s most densely forested countries, with rainforests covering nearly 91% of its territory.

    Score Rank Change
    Total Score – NCI 2024 51.4 138 N/A
    Land Management 58 71 N/A
    Protected Areas (Terrestrial) 29 144 N/A
    Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas 100 1 N/A
    Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas 66 42 N/A
    Protected Areas (Marine) 0 121 N/A
    Pristine Habitat (Converted Land) 100 1 N/A
    Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution) 50 46 N/A
    Sustainable Pesticide Use 61 47 N/A
    Threats to Biodiversity 53 156 N/A
    Threatened Species (Terrestrial) 94 18 N/A
    Threatened Species (Marine) 54 90 N/A
    Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas 65 154 N/A
    Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas 0 134 N/A
    Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial) 27 105 N/A
    Species with Declining Populations (Marine) 0 10 N/A
    Depleted Fisheries 35 17 N/A
    Fishery Pressure in the High Seas 100 55 N/A
    Invasive Species Pressure 99 24 N/A
    Capacity and Governance 64 77 N/A
    Total Management Cost 98 65 N/A
    Conservation Culturomics 55 37 N/A
    Conservation Legislation 35 112 N/A
    Ratification of CBD 100 1 N/A
    Ratification of CITES 100 1 N/A
    Political Stability and Absence of Violence 50 63 N/A
    Control of Corruption 44 85 N/A
    Government Effectiveness 44 97 N/A
    Future Trends 31 147 N/A
    Climate Change Mitigation 31 147 N/A

    Four pillars elaborated:

    Land Management

     Guyana has a comprehensive National Protected Areas System (NPAS) that has been in place for over 80 years. The NPAS protects a diverse range of ecosystems, encompassing rainforests, wetlands, and savannahs. The system includes several renowned protected areas, such as the Kaieteur National Park, established in 1925, which houses the awe-inspiring Kaieteur Falls; the Iwokrama Forest, a unique reserve that combines scientific research, conservation, and sustainable development; and the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area, which protects a mosaic of ecosystems and supports indigenous communities. The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Protected Areas Trust (PAT) are instrumental in managing and conserving these protected areas, supporting projects that promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

    Threats to Biodiversity

     Some of Guyana’s primary economic activities, including agriculture and extractive industries such as forestry, gold, diamond, and bauxite mining, are associated with identified threats. Direct threats to biodiversity include overfishing, overhunting, savannah and forest fires, indiscriminate land use practices such as mining, logging, and agriculture, poaching of wildlife, inappropriate use of agro-chemicals, introduction of alien invasive species, climate change events, and related natural disasters.

    Indirect threats mainly arise from institutional fragmentation and conflicting legislation, limited knowledge of biodiversity and species range and distribution, insufficient environmental law enforcement, a limited number of legalized, demarcated, and managed protected areas, and the opening up of areas to commercial activity.

    Capacity and Governance

     Several strategies, plans, and programs have been developed, and are being implemented in Guyana to preserve biodiversity. The country is developing a National Biosafety Framework, National Policy on Access and Benefit-sharing, and related draft Regulations, and is formulating biosafety legislation and revising the National Policy on Biosafety. Moreover, a Mangrove Management Plan, Fisheries Act, Forest Act, Mining and Environment Regulations have been developed, and the Species Protection Regulations have been revised to be enacted as the Wildlife Import and Export Act.

    Approximately 9% of Guyana is under protected and/or conservation status, with four legal protected areas established, and the establishment and management of the National Protected Areas System being the responsibility of the Protected Areas Commission. Several conservation projects and studies have been conducted, and the Guyana Forestry Commission has taken steps to restore/protect keystone species.

    Future Trends

     Guyana has set the goal of developing a new low-carbon economy by 2030. To accomplish this, the country is working towards establishing incentives that recognize the value of ecosystem services and promote them as an essential component of a new model.


    Biodiversity

    Guyana, located on the northern coast of South America, is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and diverse ecosystems. The tropical rainforests, which cover over 80% of the country, are particularly noteworthy. The Iwokrama Rainforest, in particular, is a significant area of pristine forest that supports a vast array of wildlife, including jaguars, giant river otters, and harpy eagles. The forest also has many endemic plant species and various birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The Kaieteur National Park, known for the stunning Kaieteur Falls, is another vital area that showcases the country’s rich biodiversity.

    Coastal and marine ecosystems also play a crucial role in Guyana’s biodiversity. The coastal mangrove forests and estuaries protect shorelines and provide nurseries for fish and other marine life. These areas support a variety of species, including manatees, dolphins, and numerous fish and bird species. The shell beaches along the northern coast are important nesting sites for several species of sea turtles, including the leatherback and green turtles.

    In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Guyana only):


    Species
    (World rank)    		 Threatened % Threatened Endemic % Endemic
    Mammals 256 (#40) 11 4.3%
    Birds 792 (#29) 9 1.1% 1 0.1%
    Reptiles 177 (#55) 6 3.4% 8 4.5%
    Amphibians 140 (#26) 9 6.4% 29 20.7%
    Fishes 1,001 (#50) 76 7.6% 21 2.1%
    Plants 6,440 (#47) 30 0.5% 70 1.1%

    Go To 2024 National Nature Conservation Index Main Page

    Guyana

    Nature’s finest unspoiled by time

    Score:

    51.4 / 100

    Rank:

    138 / 180