Conserving Traditional Knowledge and Resources with the Assistance of UNDP – GEF Small Grants Programme

Traditional Knowledge and Participatory video training with community representatives and the Protected Areas Commission in Santa Rosa, Region 1

The North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) is a community-based organisation dedicated to promoting the sustainable development and well-being of its Indigenous communities in the North Rupununi District, Region 9 of Guyana. Established as a unifying body for villages in the district, NRDDB works collaboratively with local, national, and international partners to implement initiatives that enhance economic opportunities, cultural preservation, environmental conservation, and governance capacity within the region.

NRDDB’s core goal is to foster sustainable development that balances economic growth, environmental stewardship, and cultural heritage.

Role in Community Development and Sustainable Resource Management.

NRDDB plays a pivotal role in driving sustainable development across the North Rupununi region by promoting the integration of traditional knowledge with modern conservation and development practices through its many partnership projects. Its efforts include Conservation Leadership, Research and Knowledge Sharing, Cultural Empowerment and Economic Opportunities.

GEF SGP Support.

The GEF SGP provided an opportunity for NRDDB to obtain financial and technical support to implement 2 projects that catered to community needs. By empowering local organisations and Indigenous communities, SGP has helped NRDDB foster research and innovative solutions that address two pressing environmental and cultural challenges.

Participants in Moruca discussing language documentation as part of their participatory video, August 2022. Photo Credit: Cobra Collective

The first initiative was the conservation and sustainable management of the Arapaima, the world’s largest freshwater fish, which holds both ecological and cultural importance for the North Rupununi’s Indigenous communities. The project was implemented from 2013-2015.

Through the support of SGP, NRDDB has been able to enhance local capacity for Arapaima management, ensuring that conservation efforts align with traditional knowledge and scientific research and review the Arapaima Management Plan.

The Arapaima Management Project focused on strengthening fisheries management through community-driven conservation, enhancing monitoring and enforcement via patrols and stock assessments, and building local capacity while advocating for supportive policies. Key achievements included the development of the Arapaima Management Plan, the establishment of fisheries committees, participatory stock assessments, and stakeholder consultations.

As a result, Arapaima populations increased, community involvement in fisheries governance improved, enforcement mechanisms were strengthened, and economic opportunities through sport fishing emerged. However, challenges such as funding constraints, balancing conservation with economic needs, and logistical difficulties persisted.

Lessons learned emphasised the importance of community ownership, partnerships, and eco-tourism as sustainable conservation strategies. The project has had lasting ecological, social, economic, and governance impacts, restoring Arapaima populations, reinforcing traditional knowledge, generating sustainable income, and influencing national fisheries policies.

NRDDB continues to advocate for the conservation and sustainable management of the inland freshwater fisheries. From 2019 to the present, NRDDB has been working with the Sustainable Wildlife Management Project (SWM) to ensure that Arapaima and other food fish continue to be sustainably managed. To date SWM have;

• Carried out a number of population assessments of Arapaima that have shown a small but incremental increase in the population, especially increases in juvenile-to-adult ratios.

• SWM has started conducting stock assessments of general food fish to better understand population numbers per species.

• Conducted consumption surveys to begin understanding the importance of fish as a main dietary protein through quantities.

• A complete overhaul of the Arapaima Management Plan to be included in the Fisheries Management Plan of the North Rupununi.

• The development of a robust co-management plan between the NRDDB communities and the Fisheries Department for the management of inland fisheries.

• Drafting of an inland fisheries regulation that would include Arapaima management.

• Develop sustainable use zones within the identified management area and development of use guidelines.

  
  

Traditional knowledge has been recognised internationally for its value in aiding the development of conservation strategies for biodiversity. This valuable knowledge base, however, continues to decline and indigenous rights are often only given passing thought when considering national policy and practice. Aichi Target 18 had been formulated to bring Indigenous knowledge and rights into focus as a means of inclusion in the decision-making process for biodiversity conservation.

 In 2016, NRDDB partnered in the development of a project aimed at finding a solution to an issue that had been identified by Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, namely how to include traditional knowledge and its knowledge holders in the decision-making process for policy and practice as was outlined in the Conservation Goals.

Through SGP’s support (2020-2023), NRDDB and its partners were able to implement key activities under the Community Engagement for Traditional Knowledge Integrataion into Policy and Practice SGP project, in achieving the project’s main goal showcasing traditional knowledge, ways of integrating that knowledge system into policy and practice and having a strategic action plan to ensure the continued survival of traditional knowledge.

The Traditional Knowledge (TK) project aimed to enhance Indigenous knowledge integration, support the development of the Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan (TKNAP), and showcase Indigenous practices through multimedia. Key achievements included extensive community consultations, participatory video training, and policy engagements with government agencies. Community-produced films were also featured at the Timehri Film Festival.

Despite challenges such as COVID-19 disruptions, communication barriers, and the need for sustained policy advocacy, the project successfully empowered Indigenous communities, improved policy awareness, and preserved traditional knowledge through documentation. Strengthening community networks and pursuing long-term integration of TK into national policies will ensure lasting impact, supporting sustainable resource management and conservation efforts.

The support gained from the GEF SGP to implement these projects has assisted in successfully elevating Indigenous voices in policy discussions, preserved valuable traditional knowledge and natural resources, and fostered stronger connections between communities and policymakers. As NRDDB continues its initiatives, it will continue to champion the vital role of Indigenous knowledge in sustainable development and environmental stewardship and champion conservation and cultural resilience in the North Rupununi and beyond, safeguarding the ecological and social well-being of the North Rupununi for future generations.