Posted on November, 11 2015

An initiative led by two indigenous communities in Suriname aims to create a 7.2 million hectare conservation corridor that will link to, and expand, a huge transboundary protected area network in Brazil and French Guiana in the northern Amazon. In March the Trio and Wayana peoples presented a declaration to the Surinamese government, to initiate creation of the corridor which will cover half the country. Local communities are central to this initiative, which aims to protect one of the world’s most intact forests with huge importance for biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and freshwater security. Next steps include work by WWF to explore sustainable  funding opportunities, and a legal status for the conservation area.