THE GUYANA SHIELD SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FORUM (OCTOBER26, 2018)
The Guiana Shield is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a 1.7 billion year of age and a Pre-Cambrian geological formation in North East South America that forms a portion of the Northern Coast of the Continent. The higher elevations on the shield are referred to as the Guiana Highlands, where the table-like mountains called tepuis are located. The Guiana Highlands are also the source of some of world’s most impressive waterfalls such as the Kaieteur Falls and the Kuquenan Falls.
The Guiana Shield entails FRENCH GUIANA (or Guyane, 100%), SURINAME (previously Dutch Guiana, 100%), GUYANA (previously British Guyana, 100%), most of VENEZUELA (51.5%), as well as parts of COLOMBIA (16.4%) and BRAZIL (14.1%). All are part of the Caribbean South America.
The Guiana Shield moist forests are one of the largest continuous tracts of relatively pristine lowland tropical rainforest in the world. The Shield is also one of the highest biodiversity regions in the world, and contains many endemic species. The Shield houses over 3000 vertebrate species: 1168 fresh water fish, 269 amphibians (54% endemics), 295 reptiles (29%), 1004 birds (7.7%), and 282 mammals (11%). Diversity of invertebrates remains largely undocumented, but there are several species of endemic butterflies and dung beetles.
Plant life is equally rich and 13,367 species of vascular plants have been found, approximately 40% of which is considered endemic. The Shield is overlain by the largest expanse of undisturbed tropical rain forest in the world. Guianan rain forest is similar in nature to Amazonian rain forest and known protected areas include the Iwokrama Forest of Central Guyana, Kaieteur, Kanuku National Park of Southern Guyana, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Central Suriname Nature Reserve of Suriname, the Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guyana.
Aim of the Forum
The overall purpose of this Seminar/Workshop is to provide a key forum for academics, diplomats, foreign and domestic professionals, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, business people, investors, as well as grass roots community Leaders in the Guyana Shield, to attain research and information about the Shield and thus to promote sustainable tourism development and regional cooperation through a sound scientifically based discussion.
This by identifying new impulses and impacts of sustainable development, within the Guyana Shield on its environment and culture, such as sustainable tourism development, and to outline methods and processes to reach real green development and growth, with particular focus on the three Caribbean countries, their communities in the hinterland, their traditional lifestyles and extensive tribal, as well as ancestral knowledge.
The seminar is also meant to upstart long existing thoughts and research into tangible action towards a more sustainable future of the Shield in terms of sustainable tourism.
This track will help to bring the 3 smallest South American countries closer together; overcome their language differences, by combining their fascinating cultures and focus strongly on their shared ecological, interest, banish borders and other barriers, by preserving the Shield sustainably, as well as its extraordinary ecology and biodiversity, for sustainable tourism purposes.
Last year this concept was introduced and discussed at the United Nations in New York, the CSIS Think Tank in Washington DC and in March 2018 at the OAS Bi-Annual Tourism Conference in Georgetown Guyana.
The United Business Guyana Shield Tourism Forum will provide the first in dept platform for the 3 countries in the center of the Shield, PARAMARIBO.
Register here: admin@unitednews.sr