Indigenous representatives in Region 9 develop recommendations for fire management in the Rupununi

Mar 30, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – Over twenty Indigenous representatives from the Rupununi came together in Lethem to address growing concerns about fire management in Guyana.

Together, they developed a set of Rupununi Fire Management Recommendations which were presented to regional and national stakeholders for feedback and support.

Fire is intimately tied to local livelihoods, culture and the plants and animals in fire-adapted ecosystems such as savannas, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) said in a press release.  In the Rupununi, fire is used for subsistence activities such as farming and grazing cattle, and Indigenous people have been using techniques such as savanna patch burning i.e. setting frequent, small, controlled fires over time, to create a patchwork landscape that acts as a natural firebreak limiting the spread of wildfires. However, with the erosion of traditional knowledge, changes in land use, governance, and climate unpredictability, uncontrolled fires are increasing causing negative impacts to habitats and property.

In this context, over twenty Indigenous representatives from the Deep South, South Central, Central, North and South Pakaraimas sub-districts of the Rupununi came together in Lethem on the 21st-23rd March 2023 to discuss ways forward with managing fire in the region.

“Fire is becoming an issue across the Rupununi savannas, especially in the dry season. At all levels, fire is not a topic that is discussed generally as part of development. Traditional knowledge on how to properly manage fire is documented but the practice is declining. It is time that we sit down and seriously consider how we address fire management combining traditional knowledge with local, national and regional strategies” (Kid James, South Rupununi District Council).

Organised by the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) and the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, UK, the Indigenous representatives spent two days discussing and formulating fire management recommendations, which were then presented to regional organisations, including NAREI, Rupununi District Council, Protected Areas Commission and Rupununi Livestock Producers Association, for their feedback on the third day.  “Fire management is critical in safeguarding livelihoods like agriculture in the Rupununi, especially in the context of global warming and climate change” (Vitus Spencer, NAREI, Region 9).

A final set of Rupununi Fire Management Recommendations were agreed by the Indigenous representatives, which were then taken to a workshop in Georgetown on the 27th March 2023 to engage national agencies. Guyana does not have a national policy on fire management. A National Wildfire Strategy developed in 2008 contained useful proposals but was never followed through. The impacts of fire on forests and the greenhouse gas emissions from burning are closely linked to the effectiveness of climate change mitigation programmes. As Guyana proceeds with its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and carbon credit payment schemes, fire will become increasingly significant as a key agent to consider in national policies.

Toshao Mike Williams (Annai district and North Rupununi District Development Board), Nicholas Fredericks (Shulinab and South Rupununi District Council) and JoylynFarias (Nappi Village and Central Rupununi) discussed the Rupununi Fire Management Recommendations with national stakeholders including Guyana Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Protected Areas Commission, University of Guyana, WWF, and CI-Guyana. The Recommendations identify strengthening of local community practices and governance as well as areas in which support will be needed from regional and national agencies.

The response was positive with discussions on taking the process forward at the national level.

“I think the process has been really good in engaging different people and different actors from different sectors in getting a diverse perspective on fire management. You can see through the process that people at local, regional, and national level are taking a practical approach in developing these fire recommendations that are aimed at being solution oriented” (René Edwards, Conservation International Guyana). On closing the workshop, Toshao Mike Williams stated the next steps identified at the local level, and hoped regional and national agencies would be on board. “We as local people in Region 9 have taken the lead in discussing fire management. These discussions come at a time when there are increasing climate change concerns and in Guyana more funding coming in to support forest management in the context of climate change. I hope the national agencies can take our lead, build upon, and provide support our recommendations for fire management.”

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• firebreak, Indigenous, Regional, Rupununi Fire Management Recommendations, savannas

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