Latest update September 29th, 2026 10:28 AM
Guyana, Yale Center sign MOU for Biodiversity, Global Change
The signing of the MOU
Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali, announced Wednesday that Guyana and the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change (YCBGC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The president made the announcement during his address at the opening ceremony of the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) summit, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
According to the president, the MOU is the beginning of a strategic, long-term collaboration focused on biodiversity science, data, and technology. With the new arrangement, Yale will work with Guyana to support the country’s leadership in the global biodiversity alliance, help to design a world-class international center of excellence for biodiversity research in Guyana and guide the application of cutting-edge biodiversity science to decision-making including a 30×30 commitment.
“Yale brings not only its world-class expertise, but also a network of partners including the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Map of Life, and the broader GEO community,” Ali said.
President Ali marked the decision as a monumental step forward not just for Guyana, but for South-South and North-South collaboration in biodiversity science.
He added that they are building the global biodiversity knowledge infrastructure from the ground up, and from Guyana out.
The Guyanese leader said no biodiversity strategy can succeed without the full involvement of those who live closest to nature; indigenous peoples and local communities.
“In the Rupununi, the discovery of the critically endangered Red Siskin led to the formation of the South Rupununi Conservation Society, a grassroots organisation led by indigenous youth. They have not only helped restore the species, but have built pride, income, and identity through ecotourism, education, and conservation,” Ali said.
The YCBGC is an academic center housed within Yale University, dedicated to the study of earth’s biodiversity and the creation of knowledge and tools to guide its conservation. It is home to ‘Map of Life,’ an initiative under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to assemble and integrate a wide range of knowledge about species distributions and their dynamics over time.
The collaboration will be carried out in close partnership with key external organisations; the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation (EOWBF) and the Map of Life Solutions (MOLS), although they are not included as formal parties within the agreement.
It was agreed that each party will be responsible for their expenses including financial support for their employees, researchers, faculty members, students and other staff members participating in the collaboration.
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- biodiversity, GBA, Global Change, Guyana, MOU, Yale, YCBGC
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