Korea-Guyana Mangrove Forest Restoration and Capacity Building Project (2024-2027) Launched

On the 18th, the Korea Forest Service (KFS), led by Minister LIM Sang-seop, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), chaired by Ban Ki-moon, announced they held a groundbreaking ceremony for a mangrove forest restoration project in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana.

Approximately 30 officials, including Dr. Richard Blair, an advisor to the Guyana Ministry of Agriculture, and Mr. Jagarine Singh, CEO of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), attended the ceremony, marking the official start of the Korea-Guyana forest cooperation project and strengthening bilateral ties.

Guyana, with 85% of its land covered by forests and a 459-km coastline, is home to 90% of its population and 75% of its farmland in low-lying coastal areas, making it highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and natural disasters exacerbated by climate change.

The region’s mangrove forests play a crucial role in reducing the impact of tsunamis, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods in fishing and agriculture. However, due to economic development and other factors, the mangrove forest, which covered approximately 80,000 hectares in 2001, had shrunk to 23,000 hectares by 2011, making restoration and sustainable management imperative.

Last year, the KFS, the Guyana government, and the GGGI agreed on specific project details and implementation plans to restore the mangrove forests and respond to the climate crisis.

As a result, the KFS and GGGI plan to restore approximately 120 hectares of mangrove forest along 6 kilometers of Mahaica Beach by 2027, strengthen community-based ecosystem management, and engage 500 residents in protecting 1,000 hectares of farmland. This initiative is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1.12 million tons over the next 25 years.

Dr. NAM Song Hee, Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at the KFS, stated, "Building on our efforts in Central America, we will further expand our capacity to respond to the climate crisis through mangrove forest restoration in South America. We also expect this project to serve a best practice for promoting biodiversity, creating green jobs, and strengthening the economic self-reliance of coastal communities."