Some ongoing wildlife research

A very interesting blog by Molly Crookshank who is studying Wildlife Biology and Conservation at Edinburgh Napier University. She has been with a group at Iwokrama through Operation Walacea. Her blog has comments and pictures about wildlife in Guyana.

University of Guyana forum on climate change

This forum was the tenth in the Turkeyen & Tain Talks by the University of Guyana and was held on November 30, 2017.

The event started with remarks by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw L. Griffith. In introducing the subject he made particular reference to a talk by Professor Mandle in 2016. There will be a follow-up post on the talk by Professor Mandle soon.

The chairman and moderator was Dr Paulette Bynoe, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Envirnomental Sciences.

This was followed by brief remarks by Reuben Robertson of FAO.

Presidential Advisor Gary Best gave an overview of the issues from a Guyana perspective.

Ms Gomin Camacho spoke on agriculture and youth networking.

Ms Martina Duncan addressed aspects of managing climate change.

Mr Amir Dillawar spoke about climate change, youth and energy.

Dr Devon Gardner talked about Caribbean and energy issues relating to climate change.

The talks by Presidential Advisor Gary Best and Dr Devon Gardner were covered in more detail, especially in relation to oil, in a report by Demerara Waves.

New Survey Report on the South Rupununi Savannahs

The WWF has released an important new survey report on the savannahs. According to the web site:
"The publication represents the most recent (and potentially, the first) broad-based documentation of floral and faunal diversity in Guyana’s southern Rupununi region, is based on work undertaken in the Kusad Mountain and Parabara areas. "

It can be downloaded from the same web page shown above. It is full of amazing pictures, maps and introduces the biodiversity idea using local examples. Just what is needed in schools.

Guyana signs Paris Agreement on climate change

Guyana was one of many nations signing the agreement. The statement by President Granger at the event said in part:

"The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, in the short-term, up to 2020, will:
• improve timber monitoring and maintain a high level of timber legality;
• increase value-added activities in the forestry sector so as to augment carbon storage in long-use wood products;
• intensify the sustainable management of our indigenous communities which own and manage 14% of our national territory;
• introduce a national Emissions Reduction Programme (ERP) to add two million hectares under conservation, encourage more efficient mining and logging activities and implement Reduced Impact Logging (RIL).
• invest in solar power, wind power and hydropower to transition more rapidly to renewable sources of energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."

Looks good so far although somewhat vague. Ratification by Guyana is still required.

Biodiversity in the Rupununi

An expedition to two localities in the Rupununi by World Wildlife Fund and Global Wildlife Conservation during late 2013 from did a comprehensive survey of biodiversity.  Their first report has now been released and consists of 97 pages.

"Preliminary results indicate 241 species of plants, 302 birds, 150 species of fish, 34 reptiles, 25 amphibians, 23 small mammals and over 300 species of insects were encountered during the two week expedition."

Also see this very readable write-up of this in Caribbean Beat. Plus there is this Guyana Times report from a local perspective.

Rupunini explorers

In October a team of scientists and students headed into the Rupunini. According to this report by Dr.

Andrew Short of the University of Kansas the aim was to:

'to conduct a rapid biological assessment of the Rupununi Savannah, a sprawling tropical grassland peppered with rock outcroppings and forested mountains.'

This first report describes their plans.

A followup report describes their trip inland and starting work. Dr Short comments:

'Over the next two weeks, we'll sample rivers, streams, and lakes across the southern Rupununi. Combined with the data gathered by the water quality and fish teams, we can generate a holistic picture of the health of the region's watershed.'

Hopefully there will be another report soon.

Guyana woodpecker

One of my daughters caught this picture of a woodpecker in our backyard on the mango tree.

It looks like either the Crimson-crested Woodpecker or the Lineated Woodpecker. Mostly likely the former.

Good thing it was not eating the mangoes... it is welcome to the bugs. Thanks Wikipedia!

Climate change in the Amazon basin

Scientific American has an interesting review of a report in Nature describing climate changes in the Amazon area resulting from human activity. Clearly there could be similar effects here in Guyana, if the deforested areas here get large enough, and the climate changes in the central Amazon could also indirectly affect the weather in southern Guyana which is on the edge of the Amazon basin.
From the article:

"The dry season is growing longer in areas where humans have been clearing the trees... Multiyear and more frequent severe droughts, like those in 2005 and 2010, are killing trees that humans don't cut down as well as increasing the risks of more common fires (both man-made and otherwise)."

"The trees are also growing fast — faster than expected for a "mature" rainforest..."

"On the whole, cutting down trees so that the Amazon covers only roughly 80 percent of the land it once did seems to have tipped the rainforest from being a sink for global CO2 emissions to a net source, although this calculation remains highly uncertain, the scientists noted."

"Fruit Trees and Useful Plants in Amazonian Life"

This is the title of a study co-produced by the UN which sounds like it will be a gold mine of useful knowledge regarding our own forests. According to a BBC report:
"The 353-page book, Fruit Trees and Useful Plants in Amazonian Life - co-produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor) and People and Plants International (PPI) - profiles a range of species that offer communities a range of uses."
This document is a free download (PDF) using a link in the article (also given below).

Links
Fruit Trees and Useful Plants in Amazonian Life

The new Google Earth Engine

Google now has an important new online service for those working in the environmental field.

"Google Earth Engine is a new technology platform that puts an unprecedented amount of satellite imagery and data—current and historical—online for the first time. It enables global-scale monitoring and measurement of changes in the earth’s environment."

"For the least developed nations, Google Earth Engine will provide critical access to terabytes of data, a growing set of analytical tools and our high-performance processing capabilities. We believe Google Earth Engine will bring transparency and more certainty to global efforts to stop deforestation."

It does have data for Guyana for those who know how to interpret this.

Copenhagen and then...?

So Copenhagen is finally over. Time will tell if the somewhat nebulous good intentions expressed will result in action. I came across a couple of the many articles attempting to evaluate the state of play.
From the BBC "What did Copenhagen achieve?" with a comparison of what changed and what did not.

"The deal at COP15, as it stands, leaves the world on a pathway for temperature rises of 3C and above."

And from SciDev Net a more optimistic "Climate accord offers some grounds for hope, say analysts"

"But some commentators say that important principles behind fighting climate change have been established for the first time, and some action could start immediately even without the existence of a universal agreement. "

Climate change - what to do?

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on 5 technologies which could provide a breakthrough:

"Over the next few decades, the world will need to wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels and drastically reduce greenhouse gases. Current technology will take us only so far; major breakthroughs are required.

What might those breakthroughs be? Here's a look at five technologies that, if successful, could radically change the world energy picture."

The technologies referred to are:

* Space based solar power
* Utility scale energy storage to enable a high percentage of solar and wind
* Next Generation Biofuels
* Carbon capture and storage
* Advanced Car Batteries

Also very interesting is a critique of this article at Next Big Future which puts these new technologies too far in the future and gives some alternatives which will impact sooner.

While most technologies above are nothing that we can implement or research here there are exceptions. Of particular interest, it seems to me, is that of biochar. Basically this means growing wood or woody material, charing it (making charcoal out of it) and burying it. This takes carbon out of the atmosphere and also can have a beneficial effect on the soil.

I should also mention that I saw no mention of the role of forests.

Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy

On June 8th our President launched Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy entitled 'Transforming Guyana's Economy While Combating Climate Change'. Having been present I recieved a printed copy but the document along with other supporting documents is available at the lcds.gov.gy website.

The strategy was well recieved and its presentation was followed by sessions in which details were clarified and some initial comments made.

This writers initial impression was very favourable. The main thrust of the strategy was to present the maintenance of Guyana's forests as a service countering global warming and to seek financial remuneration to continue this service indefinitely. Details of how this is to be done are given and also how the income generated is to be used to promote development. I cannot really comment on the method used to evaluate the forests. To me the general idea seems to be entirely sensible and fair but the implementation depends heavily on international acceptance of this. See previous posts on the subject of Guyana's forests.

President Bharrat Jagdeo on BBC

See here where "President Jagdeo sets out his views on how to reduce the 18% of greenhouse gas emissions caused by tropical deforestation."

BBC Guyana documentary

The BBC is starting a 3-part documentary on wildlife in Guyana. Apparently new species were found while making it. Plenty of good stuff on the web site Lost Land of the Jaguar.
See also this news item.

The Iwokrama carbon deal

A historic deal was just concluded between Iwokrama and a UK-based investor - a real achievement by Guyana and by Iwokrama.

From the Stabroek News article:

"For the first time investors will pay for the ecosystem services produced by a rainforest, including rainfall generation, climate regulation, biodiversity maintenance and water storage - utilities with global significance which are vanishing as forests fall," Iwokrama's Chairman Edward Glover said in a statement. The deal was first reported in yesterday's edition of the Independent newspaper in the UK.

And the significance is underlined by the fact that it has warranted an article in New Scientist:

Hylton Murray-Philipson, director of the UK-based financiers Canopy Capital, has signed a deal with Iwokrama guaranteeing a "meaningful" contribution to their running costs for five years, a deal which may be renewed.

In return for these funds, Canopy Capital is given "ownership" of the forest's ecosystems services and a claim on any profits that might one day be made from them.

Well done Iwokrama and Canopy Capital!

See also:
Mongabay article

Preparing for Bali

A timely editorial in Stabroek News covers the main points from a Guyana prespective. I often refer to this paper because it often has good articles on this subject and also, very importantly, has online archives which are easily accessed.
From the editorial:

"... the focus of Guyana's preparatory work for COP13 in Bali and its interventions at that forum must be to build consensus among the participating HFLD countries to pursue a strategy aimed at achieving the outcome of a post-Kyoto carbon credit mechanism that provides incentives not only for reforestation in countries where tropical forests have already been destroyed, but equally for those that are exercising responsible stewardship over their intact forests. "

and

"Developing countries such as Guyana also require funding of the technology for adaptation and for implementation of measures to mitigate climate change impacts and such funding must also be seen as necessary commitments by developed countries and the global and regional financial institutions."

Note: HFLD means High Forest Low Deforestation

Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting has begun

A major event for Guyana though not as much of a strain on our transportation system as the Cricket World Cup. The media here have quite a bit of coverage especially on the environmental issues raised.
Am hoping there will be real actions deriving from this event...
Our President offered our forest too support action against climate change - a good idea. Of course the forest is doing all it can, it just has to be allowed to continue to do so... I entirely agree that leaving existing forests standing gets no credit in the present scheme of things (see Credit for our trees).
Some news items about the CFMM:
Offer of entire forest in climate fight stands
Guyana forest offer for Heads meeting

Sunday 21st - the Meeting is over. Not sure what will come of it but it does seem that some serious discussion of climate change did place. Time will tell.

Credit for our trees

The carbon credit schemes are designed to give a financial incentive to encourage forests, funded by those producing carbon dioxide emissions. Strangely and illogically the incentives currently are only for reducing deforestation or for reforestation. No incentives for keeping forests standing...
This is a burning issues for many in Guyana - no pun intended(?). May be we should cut down our forests so we can get credit for replanting... but that would be a foolish, unethical and short-sighted path.
A recent study high-lights this issue and calls for action. Guyana along with 10 others countries are singled out as HFLD countries - High Forest cover, Low Deforestation rate.
Some quotes:

Since current proposals would award carbon credits to countries based on their reductions of emissions from a recent historical reference rate, HFLD countries could be left with little potential for RED credits. Nor would they have the potential for reforestation credits...

Preventive credits are an important part of a realistic approach to quickly minimize carbon releases from loss of some of the world's most biologically important forests. Globally indexed reference emission rates for HFLD countries should be part of any international framework for reducing global carbon emissions from deforestation.

Links
Stabroek News - report
EurekAlert - report
PLoS Biology - the original article