ECOSEO: a first regional assessment of the natural capital of the Guiana Plateau

Context

The project is jointly led by ONF International and WWF France, based in French Guiana. It is funded by WWF France, supplemented by co-funding from the Amazon Cooperation Interreg Programme (PCIA) and the French Guiana Water Authority.

Its implementation is based on broad regional collaboration bringing together numerous institutional, scientific and operational partners:

• the Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana and the Prefecture of French Guiana,
• ONF French Guiana,
• the French Guiana Amazonian Park,
• the Guyana Forest Commission,
• the State Secretariat for the Environment of Amapá (SEMA AP, Brazil),
• the Universities of Hanover and French Guiana,
• the SBB (Suriname),
• and WWF Guianas.

This cross-border cooperation enables the environmental challenges of the Guiana Shield to be addressed in an integrated and concerted manner.

Activities carried out

• Review of existing knowledge: inventory of data on land cover and ecosystem services, status of regional initiatives and public awareness.
• Ecosystem assessment: updated land use mapping (2000-2015), development of ecosystem accounts using the ENCA methodology, and updated mapping of mining impacts (2001-2018).
• Regional strategy: organisation of a cross-border conference and joint development of a roadmap for ecosystem preservation.
• Data dissemination: design and deployment of a web mapping platform (Forland) providing public access to data and analyses.

Project details

Building on previous initiatives, the project has updated the mapping of deforestation linked to mining activities by analysing satellite images covering nearly 20 years of change (2001–2018). For the first time, these data were used at the regional level as part of the ENCA (Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounts) methodology.

ECOSEO thus becomes the first project to produce a regional indicator of mining-related deforestation trends, offering a unique and valuable insight into the phenomenon. In order to make these results accessible, a dedicated web portal has been developed. It allows users to explore the maps produced and the results obtained using the ENCA method via the Forland platform.

Thanks to this online resource, all of the ECOSEO project’s data and analyses are now available to researchers, decision-makers and citizens, making them easier to consult and reuse.

Expected results

• Leveraging existing knowledge: identifying and highlighting data and initiatives related to ecosystem services and natural capital in the Guiana Shield.
• Assessing the state of ecosystems: analysing their current condition and evolution, supported by updated mapping and ecosystem accounts.
• Regional conservation strategy: development of a joint roadmap to strengthen the protection of ecosystems and the services they provide.
• Public access to data: publication of results online via the Forland platform, allowing the general public, researchers and decision-makers to freely explore the maps and indicators produced.

Budget

200 000 €

Partners

The Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana and the Prefecture of French Guiana, ONF Guyane, the French Guiana Amazonian Park, the Guyana Forest Commission, the State Secretariat for the Environment of Amapá (SEMA AP, Brazil), the Universities of Hanover and French Guiana, the SBB (Suriname), WWF Guianas

Beneficiaries

Public institutions in the Guiana Shield • Natural area managers • Local communities • Researchers and universities • NGOs and conservation organisations • Policy makers • General public via the Forland platform

Donor

WWF France, the European Union via the Interreg Amazonia cooperation programme (PCIA – Feder)