For better user experience, please use another browser.

Back to projects Caribbean

An Assessment of the Impacts of COVID-19 and Potential Recovery Measures for Sustainable Ecotourism Operations in Guyana

Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA) Terrestrial Protected Area
Livelihoods Management Effectiveness
Local communities Indigenous Peoples National or Local PA Agency
Eco-Tourism Sustainable Financing Survey/Data knowledge management
42,444 EUR Guyana; Caribbean Jan. 2, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024

Protected and conserved area(s) concerned

Iwokrama Protected Rainforest Area

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives addressed

Increased resilience to major shocks and recovery of the protected and conserved areas including sustainable/innovative funding planning.

Project activities

The project intends to interview stakeholders from the Iwokrama Protected Forest Area which include indigenous community and staff of an Eco-Lodge in the protected area to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted their operation and livelihoods within the protected area. The information gathered will then be used to prepare an Eco-tourism recovery manual from the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific manuscripts to be submitted for peer review to international journals and several reports to be shared with the stakeholders of Iwokrama and the wider tourism sector of Guyana. The project will also enhance the promotion of Iwokrama through digital media advertisements and online platforms. The entire project will culminate with a tourism stakeholder’s conference where all the project findings will be shared to the larger tourism sector of Guyana.

The change the project implementation will bring for the protected area(s)

The Iwokrama Protected Area is a unique case study site that demonstrates the benefits of an effective eco-tourism model that enhances conservation efforts. The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic are unique to the eco-tourism industry in general as the level of travel restrictions imposed globally was unprecedented. The eco-tourism operations in Iwokrama was not prepared for the measures taken to alleviate COVID-19 which has impacted the operations of its conservation efforts and the livelihoods of numerous indigenous communities. The change the project will therefore bring to the protected area is in better preparing the eco-tourism operation of Iwokrama for future pandemic circumstances similar to COVID-19 by understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected current operations.

Download the project infofiche.

Implementing organisations:

Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Guyana

Photo credits: © Mr Stephan Moonsammy

Project Related News

Other Projects in the Region

Jan. 15, 2024 – Dec. 15, 2024
Establishment of Mobile Emergency Rapid Response Team and Utilisation of Technological Solutions to ...

Caribbean

Jan. 14, 2024 – Dec. 12, 2024
Measuring the effectiveness of newly expanded legislation for MPAs in Belize through long-term, comm...

Caribbean

Jan. 11, 2023 – Oct. 31, 2024
Strengthening protection systems of the Maya Golden Landscape through strategic interventions and in...

Caribbean

Jan. 2, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Enhancing the effective management of Savannes Bay within the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection ...

Caribbean

Nov. 30, 2021 – Jan. 30, 2023
Training and implementation of sustainable agricultural practices in the villages adjacent to the Fo...

Caribbean

15/2/2021 -14/2/2022
Bridging the COVID funding gap to maintain the Portland Bight Protected Area

Caribbean

01.05.2021 – 30.04.2022
Sustenance of monitoring, maintenance and operation of the Pointe Sables Environmental Protection Ar...

Caribbean

01.07.2020 – 30.06.2023
Improved Management Models at Four of Belize’s Highest Priority Protected Areas 

Caribbean

01.10.2020 – 31.07.2021
Boosting EcoTourism Belize to Support Sustainable Conservation in the Maya Golden Landscape of South...

Caribbean

01.07.2020 – 30.06.2023
Improving the Knowledge, Monitoring and Protection of Mesoamerican Reef’s Fish, Spawning Aggre...

Caribbean

30.04.2020 – 29.04.2021
Strengthening of coastal zone management initiatives for the 3Bays Marine Managed Area, Haiti

Caribbean

January 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022
Implementing adaptive management of the Portland Bight Protected Area through METT-4 assessment

Caribbean

March 15, 2022 to August 14, 2022
Managing Trinidad and Tobago’s Environmentally Sensitive Areas: First assessment of management eff...

Caribbean

January 1, 2022 – May 31, 2022
Enhancing the Management of Wallings Nature Reserve

Caribbean

May 1st 2022 - September 30th 2022
Assessment of the METT use and update of the tool on nine protected areas.

Caribbean

June 30, 2021 – June 29, 2022
Building community resilience and preserving the marine ecosystem of the Baraderes/Cayemite area

Caribbean

December 1, 2021 – November 30, 2022
Improve infrastructure and capacity for monitoring and community development within Iwokrama Forest

Caribbean

30 November 2021 - 29 April 2022
2021 METT Assessment Baraderes-Cayemite Marine Protected Area

Caribbean

1 July 2021 - 31 December 2021
Outreach and surveillance to reduce fishing pressures and unsustainable fishing practices in the Tur...

Caribbean

5 April 2021 - 4 April 2022
Integrated Agro-Forestry System for Soil Conservation and Reforestation (SAFICSol-Reforestation)

Caribbean

22 October 2021 - 21 April 2022
Financing Marine Protected Area Management for continued effectiveness through COVID-19 economic cri...

Caribbean

15 October 2021 - 14 October 2022
Protection of AWNC lands and biodiversity and continued long term monitoring of key indicator specie...

Caribbean

March 1, 2021 - February 28, 2022
Critical funding to continue operations, improve enforcement capacity, and enhance the self-financin...

Caribbean

June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2022
Enhancing Management, Monitoring and Enforcement – Nelson’s Dockyard National Park’s M...

Caribbean

September 15, 2020 - April 14, 2021
Improving tourism and visitor management at Lucayan National Park

Caribbean

October 14, 2020 – October 10, 2023
Action to promote climate resilience through improved management and sustainable livelihoods in the ...

Caribbean

August 03, 2020 - August 02, 2023
Improving management effectiveness – Blue & John Crow Mountains National Park and World H...

Caribbean