What is Amazonia 2.0?
Amazonia 2.0 is a project that Amazonia 2.0 has three main focuses on popula�ons that “live objec�ves: organiza�onal in the forest and of the forest”, strengthening and in a “bo�om-up” work, that empowerment, strengthening strengthens local capaci�es to organiza�ons to iden�fy and create their management par�cipate in advocacy spaces models to prevent, address and and inter-regional learning mi�gate damage, safeguarding exchanges. natural heritage. Ideally, the Amazonia 2.0 The project was birthed as a interven�on model has as its strategic alterna�ve to confront fundamental tool, local oversight and reduce the threats and pressures induced by or monitoring which engages deforesta�on, exerted on indigenous communi�es in a Amazonian forests through par�cipatory role to ensure their indiscriminate use, and seeks to direct involvement in the mi�gate these impacts by sustainable management of building capaci�es of Indigenous their natural resources. It is and Campesino communi�es to expected that the work of the par�cipate directly in the local monitors will resonate in sustainable management of their communi�es and extend their territories. beyond to impact on decision making by local, regional and It is funded by the European Union, coordinated by IUCN- na�onal and interna�onal South American and executed authori�es. by partners in six countries; Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana and Suriname inasetof territories that cover more than 1.5 million of hectares in total.
|| 1 storing, processing and analyzing Unfortunately, the COVID-19 Amazonia 2.0 - the Guyana context the data to present as reports to pandemic has caused a the NPDC. significant interrup�on of these ac�vi�es under the project and (NPDC), working towards the At the end of the project, while some environmental implementa�on of the project in technical reports were to be monitoring ac�vi�es did take seven Indigenous communi�es developed for use by the NPDC in Western Guyana that have and others in their mee�ngs and place, it was done by in-house been impacted by mining and other engagements with state technical persons who were forestry issues. officials and as part of other previously trained under advocacy campaigns. different projects. The par�cipa�ng communi�es, which are predominately home to peoples from the Patamona and Macushi na�ons, are Profiles of Villages Campbelltown, Micobie, THAT participated in the Amazonia 2.0 project Much of Guyana’s forested lands Moruwa, Karisaparu, are located within tradi�onal Chenapou, Kopinang and indigenous territories and Monkey Mountain. CAMPBELLTOWN already managed through customary rules. However, as The majority of indigenous Campbelltown is a village indigenous communi�es face villages and communi�es in located adjacent to the Mahdia increasing external threats to Region 8, including five of the township, Sub-Region 2, Region their lands and ecosystems, they seven par�cipa�ng in this 8, Potaro-Siparuni and is home to around 1200 residents who are also moving towards project, are members of the S-Bend in Campbelltown monitoring these threats and North Pakaraimas District are mostly of the Patamona -siteoftherecentgoldrush developing management plans Council (NPDC), making them Na�on. to protect their territories. natural allies in this evidenced- has agreements with about 50 based monitoring ac�vity. The main threats to land and small-scale miners, many of who The five-year Amazonia 2.0 natural resources in are residents of the village; project began in 2015 and As part of the project, Campbelltown include mining these miners work with the ended in December 2020. environmental monitors were to and logging. Villagers report that permission of the village and pay However, Guyana only entered be iden�fied and trained to there are many logging and royal�es to the village council. the project in February 2020 conduct environmental mining concessions on the with the Amerindian Peoples monitoring ac�vi�es in the village’s �tled and un�tled lands, However, although some of the Associa�on (APA), in iden�fied areas. Addi�onally, and that the village was not mining happens with the village collabora�on with the North two data managers would have consulted prior to the gran�ng leadership’s permission, that Pakaraimas District Council been tasked with collec�ng of these concessions. The village does not mean that all residents
2 || || 3 are happy with the mining MICOBIE customary lands. The ac�vity. community has never been consulted or even informed Importantly, residents note that prior to the gran�ng of these mining has destroyed lands and concessions. Residents are forests and polluted waters used deeply concerned about these for drinking and fishing. They outside interests intruding upon believe fish have been poisoned their hun�ng and fishing by mercury, and in fact, report preparingthedronetofly grounds. They have already overthesiteofillegalmining that many fish have largely Environmental destruction no�ced pollu�on from mining in disappeared from the larger By Illegal miners the head of North Moruwa River. rivers, which have become Micobie is located on the right muddy. Residents now have to MORUWA and le� banks of the Potaro fish in small creeks and they River, Sub-region 2, Region 8 and depend upon rainwater and is home to an es�mated 500 Moruwa is located along the springs for drinking water. residents who are mostly of the Moruwa River, sub-region 2, Residents are worried that their Patamona Na�on. The main Region 8 and is a community of soil quality is becoming poorer threats to land and natural about 75 residents who are of for farming, and that their resources in Micobie include the Patamona Na�on. Unlike its hun�ng grounds are being river mining, which according to Region 8 counterparts in the destroyed. Logging ac�vi�es residents, has resulted in Amazonia 2.0 project, Moruwa compound these fears. pollu�on of their waters which does not have official �tle for has affected fishing. Addi�onally, their lands. However, the people mining has caused significant see themselves as part of a destruc�on to the banks of the larger Patamona territory and Environmental degradation Potaro River. Mining ac�vi�es the area they occupy and use is By mining have also affected the health of in fact a cri�cal resource area for farming grounds, especially in most of the NPDC villages as Sugar Hill, as well as access to well as Campbelltown and game and cleaning drinking Micobie. Residents of Moruwa water. Mining ac�vi�es are are concerned about logging and mining interests which currently Conducting interviews with reported to occur in both �tled residents of Campbelltown and �tled lands. overlap more than half of their
4 || || 5 KOPINANG KARISPARU CHENAPAU MONKEY MOUNTAIN
Kopinang is located on both Karisparu is located along the Chenapau is located in the Monkey Mountain is located on banks of the Kopinang River, Echerak and Potaro Rivers, North Upper Potaro River, North the le� bank Ireng River, North North Pakaraimas, sub-region 1, Pakaraimas, sub-region 1, Region Pakaraimas sub-region 1, Region Pakaraimas, sub-region 1, Region Region 8 and is home to an 8. This village is home to over 8 and is populated by over 500 8. Monkey Mountain is a village es�mated 1000 residents 400 residents who are primarily residents who are primarily of over 800 residents, who are (including the satellite Patamona. Threats faced by Patamona. Residents report that primarily Patamona. The main communi�es) who are primarily Karisparu include mining, mining around the village has threats to land and natural Patamona. logging and road construc�on caused environmental damage. resources in Monkey Mountain ac�vi�es. It has been reported For example, mining ac�vi�es in include mining, logging and In terms of threats, villagers that although the Karisparu the Ayanganna Mountains ca�le ranching. There are have expressed concern about Village Council has granted appear to be affec�ng water concerns in the village about conflicts with miners, the permission for two miners to quality in the Potaro River. mining ac�vi�es, especially in overuse of resources, as well as operate within the village’s �tled Residents have also reported and around the Echilebar, pollu�on in the Potaro River and lands, the village faces pollu�on around the Echerak Siparuni, and Mariaparu Rivers, the stretch of Kuribrong River significant conflicts with other River, another area exposed to where mining is threatening downstream from Amaila Falls. miners who are opera�ng outside mining interests, and the game, fish, waterways, and without permission. Mining pollu�on appears to be killing forest. Residents are par�cularly In addi�on to problems caused ac�vi�es in Karisparu have not fish which then flow into the concerned about water security by mining ac�vity, some villagers only created significant human Potaro River. in dry season, when water levels have no�ced that overhun�ng, rights abuses, but have caused are low and pollu�on is likely overfishing, and overuse are environmental harm, including concentrated. causing a deple�on of available pollu�on of the river by tailings game and forest products, such which is the waste material le� Residents also report that there as mukru, hiari and resins, near a�er raw gold is refined through are logging ac�vi�es taking place the village. the use of mercury and dumped in the Echilebar and Siparuni directly into the river at the end areas, as well as ca�le ranching of the process. Residents also in the village’s un�tled report that logging ac�vi�es and customary lands towards the road building ac�vi�es in the Taruka side, which con�nue to Tipuru and Moruwa area have cause resource conflicts with made hun�ng more difficult. villagers
6 || || 7 River mining - tales from micobie
“We got the big Potaro River with polluted water; Tiger Creek, our boundary line is also polluted…It is affec�ng us The Mamai Lucille Williams Story because we are not ge�ng our fish anymore. Even if you �e a seine now you can’t catch Mamai Lucille Williams isan instructed to rebuild a house for anything, sheer moss coming up elderly Patamona woman, who Mamai. Mamai has now on the seine,” Mr. Williams over a year ago was forcibly rese�led in another area where shared. “It is hard, especially for removed from the land she has she has replanted her cassava Isaac Williams me because I use to go fishing, lived on for more than 70 years and other crops. However, the but I can’t do that anymore,” he by miners who were granted structure which was seen by Isaac Williams, a resident of added. mining permits by the Guyana APA’s team during the visit to Micobie says that he has been Geology and Mines Commission Karisaparu, can only be living in the community for over (GGMC). As reported by the considered a shed, which leaves 60 years and has witnessed the North Pakaraimas District her exposed to the elements. pollu�on of the river caused by Council (NPDC), the miners had con�nuous river mining. He cruelly demolished Mamai's noted that though reports have house post, throwing out her been made to the relevant belongings from her home and authori�es, the community has destroying her farm. seen li�le change. Mr. Williams explained that the Potaro River Though there had been some was once home to an abundance interven�on by the former of fish which sustained the Minister of Natural Resources, mamai’s house community and fishermen like Mr. Raphael Trotman a�er himself. However, this has Mamai’s situa�on was Mamai also complained to the changed as fish is now scarce, highlighted by the APA and local team that she has heard that the Reviewing aerial footage something he a�ributes to the media outlets, her situa�on has miners are again threatening to of Micobie Village river mining taking place in the remained the same. remove her from the new Potaro River. loca�on. However, she made it At the �me of the Minister’s clear that she has no inten�on of interven�on, the miners were being pushed out by them again.
8 || || 9 Amazonia 2.0 Experiences
Although it cannot replace the face-to-face interac�ons, it is something that we will have to con�nue to explore to see how Kemal robinson we will adapt, considering COVID Sherry Ann Balkaran Environmental Monitor and Mapper is s�ll here with us. - Kato Village, Region 8.
On a different note, the “I think environmental From the age of 16 some four Jean La Rose consultancies done as part of monitoring projects like the years ago,Kemal Robinson this project will allow us to Amazonia 2.0 project would began working with the “It is unfortunate that at the strategize, using the informa�on benefit us here in the North Amerindian Peoples Associa�on very start of the project, we gathered on various topics. They Pakaraimas because it will help as a mapping appren�ce. Today, were hit with the COVID would also provide us with both our people be aware of what is he s�ll works on projects with pandemic which stopped our broad and very, specific insights really happening presently in the the APA but he is no longer an work from taking place as we into different situa�ons and how Region. I would very much like to appren�ce as he is well versed in had planned. With an already we can approach them see our youths be trained so things related to mapping. He very �ght �meline, we were concerning REDD+, community that they can be dispersed into has also received some training unable to accomplish the monitoring, and advocacy in the different areas and monitor in Indigenous rights issues. expected outputs we had these areas. our environment so that that desired. when they do so, they would be As a Patamona youth from Kato - Ms. Jean La Rose, Execu�ve able to bring the informa�on to Village in the Region 8– Potaro- The lack of technology and lack Director, Amerindian Peoples the different villages and the Siparuni Region, his introduc�on of communica�on would have Associa�on. different village councils so that to this field of work came also caused the work to suffer to they can be aware of what is through an opportunity to work a large extent. However, it has happening and put systems in alongside other resource been a good learning experience place to rec�fy or curb these persons collec�ng cri�cal for us as it revealed the need for things.” informa�on for the Region 8 improved communica�on and Land Tenure Assessment (LTA). the use of technology to - Mrs. Sherry Ann Balkaran, complete our work more Secretary, North Pakaraima The Region 8 LTA publica�on is efficiently. District Council. the second in a series of APA research publica�ons �tled,
10 || || 11 “Our Land, Our Life - A take pictures, videos and GPS Par�cipatory Assessment of points and plot them on a map. Land Tenure,” which highlights When someone is asking what’s the land tenure situa�on of going on there, we can show Indigenous Peoples in different them this. And we also take regions of Guyana. It is names so that we can iden�fy supported by the Forest Peoples persons who are living and Programme and the Rainforest working in specific areas. Lucious torres Founda�on US through funding Orlando andrews Environmental Monitor & Mapper from NORAD and the Rainforest Kemal believes that issues Environmental Monitor - Waipa Village Fund. affec�ng Indigenous Peoples in - Campbelltown Guyana are o�en �mes not a 20-year-old Lucious Torres of Waipa Village began working From there, Kemal moved on to priority for those in authority. The Amazonia 2.0 project is with the Amerindian Peoples working on other projects with However, this only mo�vates Orlando’s first opportunity to Associa�on (APA) in 2018 as a the APA that allowed him to him to con�nue raising work in the area of mapping appren�ce with a team expand his knowledge of the awareness on these issues environmental monitoring. At that was tasked with mapping work required and the through evidence-based age 18, he has shown tradi�onal Indigenous lands in importance of mapping advocacy. enthusiasm in using modern Region Eight through a project Indigenous lands as well as technology to assist Indigenous funded by NORAD and the be�er understanding his own “The environmental monitoring communi�es by gathering Rainforest Founda�on (USA). home territory. Over �me, programme would be a very cri�cal data on the ground which Kemal also became one of good thing since this would can then be used in evidence- He is also one of several several Indigenous youths allow us to gather evidence to based advocacy. Indigenous youths trained in trained in video produc�on show those who do not believe video produc�on under the under the APA’s NORAD funded what’s going on the ground. “I am really excited to be a part APA’s NORAD funnded Youth- Youth-Led Media Programme, With the environmental of this project and learn more Led Media Programme, applying applying the knowledge he monitoring you take GPS points, about environmental the knowledge he gained as a gained as a mapper. you take videos and photos that monitoring. We are gathering mapper. “I work with the APA as you can give back to the informa�on using modern a mapper and I think that At present, Kemal is skilled in community and show on a wider technology like drones and communi�es can benefit from using GPS ac�vated so�ware to scale for them to see what is smart phones so that we can this project because they can collect data and plot maps that going on,” Kemal shared. help villages like Micobie show take the informa�on gathered can be used by communi�es or that illegal mining is being done and create maps and videos that District Councils in advocacy- “They say Guyana is one of the on their lands. I am really excited can be used as evidence to show based campaigns. most beau�ful countries in the to be an assistant on this project what the reality of Indigenous world but, it’s being destroyed, and I look forward to helping Peoples is,” Lucious shared. “When we go in the field, we slowly but surely,” he added. other communi�es.
12 || || 13 How do Indigenous communities benefit Engaging in capacity building in implemen�ng environmental from environmental monitoring projects and empowerment training and monitoring projects in Guyana. like Amazonia 2.0? workshops, in addi�on to community discussions, would An environmental monitoring help the par�cipa�ng villages in trip was also conducted in early this project achieve their goals November when a team from on the environment of developing and implemen�ng the APA and three can be a powerful tool a robust territorial monitoring environmental monitors visited for understanding the and management system. the seven communi�es to gather impacts of different evidence of new and exis�ng ac�vi�es on forest threats they face. This specific cover and forest loss. ac�vity also brought much- needed visibility to the reali�es The communi�es in of these communi�es as in the Region 8 do not yet case of Mamai Lucille Williams have exis�ng territorial and illegal mining on Micobie's management and monitoring Although overall levels of land. deforesta�on remain low in programmes but there are Guyana, satellite data suggest important exis�ng governance Addi�onally, under the project, structures and resources in the increasing rates of deforesta�on During this short �me, the APA two consultants, Ms Vanda region. The villages have in Region 8 over the past has been able to complete a Radzik and Mr Josh Lichtenstein increasingly begun to decade. Community reports of situa�onal analysis of the were contracted to document collaborate on territorial and land and resource conflicts and current state of Region 8, and adapt Forest Governance land issues. Some have previous environmental concerns suggest focusing specifically on the Indicators at the Local experience par�cipa�ng in that the deforesta�on is linked seven par�cipa�ng Community Level with Special mapping projects and can draw to the same ac�vi�es causing communi�es. This was done by A�en�on to FLEGT criteria and upon the experiences of those these conflicts, most consultant Lan Mei. Two short REDD+ safeguards as well as who had been previously trained importantly, mining and logging. videos were produced, which provide an analysis of the to use smartphones, GPS, and The use of satellite data of tree captured not only the essence of contribu�on that Amazonia 2.0 computer technologies, as well cover loss combined with on- the Amazonia 2.0 project but could provide to REDD+, RIA and as those who have undergone the-ground evidence of also APA’s extensive experience the Na�onal MRV System. deforesta�on and other impacts legal empowerment training.
14 || || 15 ABOUT THE A.P.A ABOUT THE N.P.D.C
The Amerindian Peoples The North Pakaraimas District Associa�on (APA) is a non- Council (N.P.D.C) was formed at governmental Indigenous a mee�ng in 2016 by the peoples organiza�on which was majority of Indigenous villages formed in 1991 at a conference and communi�es in Region 8 in for Indigenous leaders in hopes of reviving the historical Georgetown. These leaders had modes of collabora�on across met to discuss various problems villages. Since its first mee�ng in affec�ng their communi�es and September 2016, the NPDC has felt that there was the need for met quarterly to discuss issues an independent organiza�on to of common concern to the represent their interests district. The main topic of especially as these were not concern has been that of land – being addressed by the the NPDC villages agreed to government. con�nue the work of their fore parents and seek joint legal The mission of the APA is to tenure over collec�ve customary promote the social, economic, lands. The NPDC villages have poli�cal and cultural mapped out the collec�ve development of Amerindian customary use areas and are communi�es in solidarity with now seeking official government each other and to promote and recogni�on of the District defend their rights. The APA Council (through publica�on in works with indigenous the Official Gaze�e). communi�es throughout Guyana and largely focuses on policy and legisla�ve reform and implementa�on.
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