Future Challenges Local Solutions

Briefing n°17

inlets and creeks. The North Rupununi Wetlands is estimated at 22,000 hec-tares. The waterways are a combination of black, white and clear water systems which influence the distribution of fauna and flora accordingly. The Rupu-nuni River is a white water system that is still being transformed by the flood waters. The last few years have seen the river being straightened out in its lower reached. During the dry season, the river is confined within its banks, which can still be up to 100m wide. In addition; the Rupununi River has a high sediment load and this influences the turbidity of the black water Essequibo River below its confluence. The Essequibo River can be as wide as 1 km where it is braided with islands and has a average depth of 40m, though some pools can be as deep as 100m.

DiversityThe mixing of the Amazonian and Guiana Shield eco-zones has resulted in high habitat diversity and an abundance of flora and fauna. Over 400 species of fish, 191 species of mammals, 650 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles and 65 species of amphibians have been recorded in the region. Healthy populations of endangered species like Giant River Otter, Giant River Turtle, Black Caiman, Jaguar are present, and with recent conservation efforts, the Arapaima population has been steadily increasing.

ClimateThe North Rupunini’s climate is largely influenced by the inter-tropical conver-gence zone. As the ecosystems transi-

Much of the work of the COBRA project takes place in North Rupununi region of Guyana. Many of the indigenous communities in the area are repre-sented by the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), which works to help local people discuss issues relatin to community develop-ment and environmental management. This briefing serves as a backdrop to the work being undertaken by COBRA and the NRDDB, by describing the physical, environmental, and social systems of the region.

Physical DescriptionThe North Rupununi is located in the southern part of Guyana, at the northern end of the Upper Essequibo - Upper Takatu Administrative Region. There are two wider ecosystems which overlap in this region. On the eastern side, the Ru-pununi savannah extends into Brazil and is part of seasonally flooded wetlands. The Guyana and Brazilian savannahs are divided by the Ireng and Takatu Rivers. The Guyana savannah ecosystem is fur-ther divided into north and south by the Kanuku Mountain Range. The northern part of this savannah is bordered by the Pakaraima Mountains in the north west and tropical rainforest in the north and east. The savannah vegetation includes grasses, sedges, trees, shrubs and woody herbs.

Like much of the surrounding savannah and tropical lowland forest, The North Rupununi becomes a seasonal flood plain defined by the Essequibo, Rupu-nuni, Rewa and Simoni Rivers. The area also includes over 200 ponds, lakes,

Description of the North Rupununi

At a Glance• A fascinating landscape • The region is home to diverse and abundant flora and fauna• How do the communities sustain themselves economically?

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tion from tropical rainforest to savannah there is an obvious decline in the amount of rain. Further south the decline is more distinct and there is notably only one prolonged rainy season, which runs from April until August. The dry season follows from September to March, although this is broken by a brief period of rain from December to January known as the cashew rains.

The amount of rainfall in the region is also heavily influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation pheno-menon that occurs every 7 years. During this period rainfall can decrease as much as 50%. In contrast the La Niña weather system can bring unusually intense and sustained periods of rain and flooding. Several regions of Guyana, including the Rupununi, have been experiencing La Niña conditions for the last two years.

Socio-Economics and Culture

The North Rupununi has an eclectic mixture of indi-genous groups. The majority of people in the area are Makushi, but Patamona, Arawak, Wapishana, and Arikuna also live in the region. English is the language taught in schools and its use is encouraged at home too. This has caused concern amongst those in the communities who are worried that the younger gene-ration are abandoning the indigenous languages of the region in favour of becoming monolingual English speakers.

The eighteen villages and communities that comprise the North Rupununi District Development Board, have a population of approximately 6000-8000. Areas with legally recognised titles under the Amerindian Act with vested legal authority in the village councils are Apoteri, Rewa, Crash Water, Yakarinta, Katoka - Kapy-bara, Yupukari - Kwatata, Toka, Masara - Kwaimatta, Fair View and Annai Village, which includes Annai Cen-tral, Kwatamang, Rupertee, Wowetta and Surama. The community of Aranaputa is situated on state lands and is governed by a community development council.

The main economic activities within many of the com-munities are subsistence fishing and farming. Some communities have taken the step to develop alterna-tive livelihoods, such as eco-tourism, shop keeping, poultry rearing and developing groups that produce a number of traditional products at commercial scales. The community of Aranaputa was established to promote cattle ranching and peanut production in the early 19 century, and continues to produce peanut

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butter, which is supplied to local schools.

The villages of Surama, Rewa and Yupukari are the main destinations for eco-tourism in the region, and receive a steady amount of visitors each year, although Arana-puta and Wowetta do also offer tour packages. More recently, Wowetta and Yakarinta have expanded their production of traditional products to a commercial level. The Wowetta Women’s group produces a number of cassava products, including cassava bread, cassreep, tapioca and farine, for sale to other communities. Their business increases during the rainy season when many local farms are affected.

The establishment of entities like Iwokrama Interna-tional Centre, the Conservation International Field Station and tourism enterprises has led to many new job opportunities in the region. These help to build the capacity of villagers in the areas of forestry, resource management, research, administration. Until recently many villagers did not receive formal education, however, work done by the NRDDB has seen the esta-blishment of a secondary school, with many students advancing to further institutions and even to the University of Guyana. Many of the projects developed for implementation in the villages are focused on buil-ding capacity especially in the area of natural resource management.

Protecting local resources (photo by Claudia Nuzzo)

The North Rupununi is now connected to George-town and improvement of the road in recent years has increased helped to make the region more accessible. Although the road was established to facilitate the development of the Rupununi and provide a cor-ridor for the movement of goods and services, this has not yet reached full fruition. However there is concern that the mineral, timber, and fishing reso-ruces of the region are being exploited because of the relative ease of access. Efforts are being made to manage the access and extraction of these resources through the development of management plans and village rules and by-laws. The villages are also engaging the Government more in these issues to ensure that their lands and resources are protected.