In February 2021 SERVIR-Amazonia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). This month, the Program adds to its collaboration with Guyana by celebrating an MOU with the University of Guyana to enhance the monitoring of Guyana’s ecosystems, and include academic research, as well as allow for the participation of indigenous communities and women to be part of the conservation process.
The signing of the MoU is the culmination of a series of workshops over the last 18 months led by NASA scientists and those from UG’s Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES) and Centre for Study for Biological Diversity (CSBD). Ultimately, the information system that is under development and includes students from the University of Guyana will allow to include the entire coast of Guyana on an annual basis, improving the country’s ability to protect coastal mangrove ecosystems, support coastline resilience, and report on mangrove extent and health.
The collaborative agreement was signed by Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, Vice-Chancellor Xi, University of Guyana and Jesús Quintana, Managing Director for the Americas of the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The event was also attended by senior officials of the University of Guyana and representatives of NASA and USAID.
In her remarks, Professor Mohamed said the University is aligned with Guyana’s goal as an environmentally responsible State. She said the signing of the MoU with SERVIR-Amazonia and partners is part of a response to improve the use of geospatial data and information. Jesus Quintana also celebrated this important milestone: “The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT works on landscape and biodiversity conservation, as well as on digital inclusion. Based on our joint research we can collectively innovate and design better policies to confront the challenges the Amazon basin faces.