Suriname Biodiversity Assessment and Planning
To obtain environmental information on areas within eastern Suriname that are being explored for potential bauxite mining, Alcoa’s Suriname Aluminum Company (Suralco) and the BHP-Billiton Maatschappij mining joint venture engaged Conservation International (CI) to conduct a biodiversity survey in late 2005.
A central component of the partnership was initial biodiversity assessment and planning conducted by CI to both increase understanding of these areas’ ecosystems and socio-economic dynamics and provide recommendations for incorporating biodiversity considerations in the earliest stages of decision-making for Suriname’s next generation of mines.
CSI initially conducted desktop biodiversity assessments detailing the known status of biodiversity and related socio-economic dynamics in the Lely, Nassau, and Brownsberg areas. The organization then worked jointly with students and scientists from the National University of Suriname to conduct a rapid biological survey through CI’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). The survey focused on the Lely and Nassau plateaus, which the desktop assessment revealed had not been previously investigated in detail. The scientific team included experienced tropical biologists from regional, national, and international institutions.
The RAP team surveyed both Nassau and Lely from October 25 to November 6, 2005. After collecting data on ants, birds, dung beetles, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, the team concluded that both sites currently show evidence of unregulated hunting activity. This activity is having a direct impact on larger species (particularly larger mammals and birds) and a possible indirect impact on the larger trophic (nutrition) chain.
The study showed that the Lely Mountains offer excellent conservation opportunities because of the lack of human impacts, low human population densities, and relative lack of access. The Nassau Mountains have been more impacted by human activities, particularly with regards to hunting and habitat fragmentation resulting from access routes created to facilitate small-scale mining activities and exploration activities for large-scale mining. Better resource management, particularly with increased regulation of hunting, and improved access control could help improve ecosystem health.
A two-day multi-stakeholder workshop after the survey focused on making preliminary recommendations for conservation in these important areas. Attending the workshop were representatives from Surinamese government, civil society, the National University of Suriname, and companies working in the area.
View a video on a similar biodiversity assessment conducted in Guinea
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See a video of the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) in action
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