Guyana

I. Background Information

Guyana, a country whose landmass is 85% covered by forests, is also home to 78,500

indigenous peoples (2012 census). The indigenous population of Guyana consists of

many sub groups, such as the Warao, Lokono Arawak and Carib, Arekuna, Akawaoi,

Makushi, Patamona, Wapichan, and Wai Wai (IWGIA Assistant). Although only making

up around 10% of Guyana’s total population, these indigenous people (often referred to

as Amerindians), play a key role in preserving the rainforest heavy environment and

containing their traditional knowledge of the lands to pass onto future generations. Even

with all their contributions, however, the Amerindians face a large amount of

marginalization by the majority, and the rising costs of climate change are only

furthering these consequences. These conditions are similar to other countries in the

same region such as Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia, since their indigenous population

is also at risk from excessive floods and droughts, common problems of climate change.

Guyana is especially susceptible to rising sea levels, harming the crops and living

conditions of the many indigenous people it is home to, showing how climate change

and rising global temperatures violate the multiple Amerindian communities.

II. Past International Actions

To actively solve these negative impacts, many plans have been enacted in the past. For

instance, in June 2001, Guyana under the UNFCCC addressed a climate change action

plan to “develop, apply, and diffuse technologies, practices and processes that control,

reduce, or prevent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gasses in relevant sectors”.

This benefited native communities by increasing security of food and natural resources

that are vital to them and it helped to protect the natural environment they integrate in

their everyday lives. Also, in 2024, Guyana went through its’ country review of the

Biennial Transparency Report, actively participating in the Paris Agreement and allowing

governments to enact environmentally friendly initiatives to preserve the environment

from climate change. Indigenous people in the past have also launched efforts to protect

their land from climate change. For instance, at COP26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate

Change Conference), a Wapichan woman named Immaculata Casimero advocated for

women’s rights and how the lack of government regulation for recently booming mining

activities have led to deforestation, flooding, lower crop yields, and food insecurity. This

has aided native people since she and her team have advocated for “climate justice and

actively working to gain legal ownership and control of these lands”(Canada).

III. Country Policy

Many country policies of Guyana have helped to solve this issue. On the 9th of August

each year, Guyana celebrates the United Nations’ International Day of the World’s

Indigenous People, specifically looking into how the native population lives in harmony

with nature and how their way of life helps to combat negative effects of climate change

(“Listening to the Voices of Indigenous Peoples Is the Only Way to Protect People and

Planet | United Nations in Guyana”). Also, according to United Nations Climate Change,

to specifically help preserve rainforests from climate change, Guyana has been working

with Norway since 2009 through REDD+ and has been implementing renewable energy

sources and supporting sustainable development. Arguably one of the most important

current efforts from Guyana to combat climate change and reduce violation of

indigenous peoples’ is its’ Low Carbon Development Strategy that specifically aims to

recognize indigenous populations’ land tenure while also implementing conservation of

forests and agricultural spaces. According to the Guyana LCDS website specific goals of

this initiative include to create new incentives for a low carbon economy, protect against

climate change and biodiversity loss, stimulate future growth, and align with global

climate goals. This strategy is set to be the trajectory for the upcoming decade.

IV. Possible Solutions

There are many ways to advance in reducing the violations that climate change brings to

the indigenous communities of Guyana. The first step in this is to give the native

Amerindians more land tenure, since recognizing their rights to land gives them more

authority to protect their rights and possibly even function the land more efficiently. This

is a high-quality solution since natives are more environmentally friendly and don’t use

as much technology that emits high amounts of carbon, reducing negative climate

change effects. In addition to this, further climate change and country plans such as the

LCDS should focus more on native populated areas and work to protect their land from

miners that are displacing natives from their home. This, like giving more land tenure

assures efficient and environmentally friendly use of the land that would benefit the

entire country of Guyana and possibly even help neighboring countries like Suriname

and Venezuela by influencing positive changes in the region to native populations. A

country in South America that has successfully tackled negative impacts of climate

change is Uruguay, and another solution for Guyana would be to work with Uruguay to

do the same for their country and implement a higher amount of ecosystem-friendly

practices which would strengthen the diplomatic relations already established between

the two countries and would help to solve Guyana’s problem. In addition to working with

Uruguay, it is important to continue working with Norway in REDD+ to preserve forests

that the Amerindians use for farming, hunting, and maintaining their culture.