Get to know more about

Regions where we work in Suriname

We are currently active in the following regions:

Suriname

TBI in Suriname works towards the preservation and sustainable management of forests and trees in the Upper Suriname River area through local governance, access to land and resources for the local communities, and improved livelihoods and income.

The Saamaka territory is located in the Upper Suriname River area, which is a heavily forested landscape with limited (but increasing) commercial activity, predominantly inhabited by the Saamaka Maroon population. The population strongly relies on rain-fed subsistence agriculture which is considered highly vulnerable to climate change. Changes in temperature and rainfall and drought spells are reducing crop output, and freshwater availability. Floods will lead to homesteads being damaged and droughts affect the accessibility of the villages by river, affecting the mobility of people and products, resulting in higher costs for households. The absence of effective legal safeguards for their traditional territories exacerbates their vulnerability.

The rapid growth of the Maroon population in combination with a lack of formal land (use) rights and increased investments for the development of economic activities (such as tourism, infrastructure, logging, and mining), lead to increased pressure on the forest. Whereas commercial agriculture is currently limited due to high transportation costs and lack of markets, ongoing improvements of the road network are likely to increase commercial agricultural activities in the near future, increasing pressures on the forest.

We believe that with a strengthened local governance in the Saamaka territory, that is well integrated in the formal governance structures and processes, and that serves as a model for locally controlled, climate smart development, will preserve forests and trees while providing an improved livelihood and income benefits to the inhabitants.

What we do:

  • Assure local participation in the development and implementation of legislation on formal tenure rights over land and forest resources;
  • Improve local land and forest governance;
  • Establish land-use plans with local communities defining the areas for agricultural expansion, community forestry and preservation of primary forests;
  • Engage local people in climate-smart productive activities that allow for improved livelihoods for men and women and offer economic opportunities to the youth; and
  • Identifying financial resources to make these accessible for developing value chains and community forestry by local communities.

With whom:

Tropenbos International works in Suriname through its local network partner Tropenbos Suriname. Visit their website for more information: www.tropenbos.sr

History

Tropenbos International has been operational in Suriname since 2003. In 2005 Tropenbos Suriname became a legal national entity of Suriname and in 2017 a member of the Tropenbos International network.

In recent years TBI in Suriname has built the capacities of the people of the Saamaka Maroon tribe in the Upper Suriname River area and supported them in making detailed three-dimensional (3D) maps of their territories, including references to the availability and use of forest-ecosystem goods and services. These maps are used in negotiations with authorities about land planning issues. In another region, capacity of forest managers and local communities was strengthened with the tailor-made course on Village Development. The manual 'Sustainable Forest Management for Village Development' published by Tropenbos Suriname and VHL University is used by the Ministry of Regional Development in its programmes throughout Suriname. Tropenbos Suriname’s engagement in the National REDD+ Readiness programme focuses d on forest-dependent livelihoods as a vehicle for sustainable use of the forest and a source of income for the communities.

Related newsShow all

23 September 2024

Read more

29 April 2024

Read more

07 June 2023

Read more

Latest publicationsShow all

Publication

Improving the outcomes of community forests in Suriname - Recommendations for CSOs

As part of a multi-country review of community forest rights, Tropenbos Suriname conducted a review of the community forests in Suriname, to understand the extent to which they result in positive conservation and livelihood outcomes, and to identify the conditions for their success and ways in which Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can help with achieving these. In this policy brief we summarize some of the main outcomes of the review, and the consequent recommendations for CSOs. 

Publication

Saamaka Lio as habitat and productive landscape: Lessons for inclusive and sustainable land use planning from the Upper Suriname river area

Publication

Participatory 3D modelling as a socially engaging and user-useful approach in ecosystem service assessments among marginalized communities

Land use decision making in the Upper Suriname River area knows a history of disempowerment and marginalization of the Saamaka communities inhabiting the area. Non-recognition of land rights is at the origin of this problem. This is aggravated by the increasing over-exploitation of timber resources by powerful stakeholders and the unfair distribution of timber benefits. This has left Saamakans marginalized, causing distrust and opposition among themselves and towards outsiders. Furthermore, as a result of deforestation, Saamakans face detrimental changes in the ecosystem services (ES) that support their traditional livelihoods, with important effects for their wellbeing. This environment of distrust, opposition and marginalization makes it difficult to assess these concerns. Hence, an ES assessment approach that would generate salient ES knowledge while generating trust, communication among stakeholders and local capacity building was needed. In this paper we evaluate whether Participatory 3D modelling (P3DM) is an effective approach for ecosystem services assessments in such disenabling environments. We evaluate this by using empirical data from an ES assessment in the Saamaka region using a P3DM approach. Results show the efficient identification and evaluation of 36 ES representing provisioning, cultural and regulating service categories with crops, fish, wild meat, timber and forest medicines identified as most important. We found a decrease in the demand and supply of crops, fish and wild meat associated with ecosystem degradation, out-migration and changes in lifestyles. Further, our findings show an increasing demand and decreasing supply for timber related to over-exploitation. We provide evidence of the utility of P3DM to foster multi-functional landscape development among wary communities. Further, we discuss the usefulness of the approach and the necessary conditions needed for P3DM process to tackle the needs of the local communities as well as the need for a broader P3DM implementation strategy beyond the engagement, screening, and diagnostic phases of ES assessments when the aim is to enhance ES outcomes for marginalized communities. 

Publication

Affordable and simple tools for monitoring impacts of selective logging on mammals in a FSC certified forest concession in Suriname

Camera trapping and line transects are easy and cost-effective techniques to study the presence of mammals within a forestry concession. They provide insight in the impact of logging on biodiversity over time, which is a requirement for FSC certified concessions. These biodiversity monitoring techniques can be an answer to the constraints of money of the concession holders in developing countries.