PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The European Union is providing a grant of Euro10 million (One Euro=US$1.29 cents) to Guyana and Suriname to help the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in their protection and sustainable use of the Amazon forest.
The funds are being provided under the ‘Sustainable Forest Livelihood for communities of Guyana, and Suriname’ project, with one million euros going to the Foundation for Forest Management and Bostoezicht (SBB) to strengthen its organization.
The funds will be managed by the French Development Organization in Suriname (AFD), according to Pierre Bourguignon, director of the FDA in Suriname and Guyana, and Rene van Nes, the EU ambassador in Suriname.
They told the de Ware Tijd newspaper that the ‘Sustainable Forest Livelihood for communities of Guyana and Suriname’ project falls within the context of the Amazon Basin Team Europe initiative that pursues the same goals in the Amazon region.
This includes the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
“The countries all consist largely of Amazon rainforest and often face the same challenges,” says Van Ness, with Bourguignon indicating that the signing of the project was preceded by a period of nine months to examine precisely the situation in both countries.
“This research has resulted in WWF Guianas being chosen as the implementing local partner for this project,” he added.
and then  to Guyana and Suriname to help the two Caribbean){kind=link}