National park and protected areas
French Guiana is home to a very rich variety of ecosystems (savannahs, forests, coastlines) and has a high rate of endemism. The territory has nearly 480 species of freshwater and brackish fish, a third of which are endemic. The equatorial forest and its vast and continuous canopy allow the maintenance of the evolutionary dynamics of life. The marine environment is home to rare species, such as the Guiana dolphin. In order to preserve this biodiversity "hot spot", protected areas have been set up.
Amazonian Park of French Guiana
: created in 2007, it aims to reconcile the protection of the ecosystems of the equatorial forest, the activities of local communities and public awareness. Bordering the Tumucumaque Mountains Park in Brazil, it forms a vast protected area that represents 40% of French Guiana, on the borders of the Oyapock and Maroni rivers.Guiana Regional Nature Park
: created in 2001, located on the coast, it includes both a wide variety of ecosystems (mangroves, marshes, savannahs, forests) and human communities. The park carries out actions to protect biodiversity, welcome the public and promote economic development.Trésor Regional Nature Reserve
: located in the north-east of the territory, it protects the ecosystems of the Kaw mountain (forests, humid savannahs). It is possible to follow the "carbon trail", an educational tool inaugurated in 2005. It is 1.4 km long and provides information on the link between the forest and climate change.Nouragues National Nature Reserve
: located in the heart of the equatorial forest, it is home to a CNRS scientific station, which has produced numerous scientific studies.Kaw-Roura National Nature Reserve : protects extremely rich ecosystems, such as wetlands (marshes), savannahs and mountain forests.
Trinité National Nature Reserve : located in the centre of the territory and difficult to access, it has a great diversity of environments: savannahs, plain and mountain forests, inselberg (small isolated mountain massif). It is the subject of scientific studies and floristic inventories.
Amana National Nature Reserve
: on the western coastline, it is home to mangroves and beaches, and marine turtle nesting sites.Grand Connétable Island National Nature Reserve
: protects the ecosystems and terrestrial and marine biodiversity of these two islets located off the coast of Guyana.Mont Grand Matoury National Nature Reserve
: located in a peri-urban area, it preserves more than 2,000 hectares of primary forest and is a recreational and educational area.The
main threats to the natural balance are the overexploitation of resources, illegal deforestation, and infrastructure projects (roads, industry, coastal urbanization) that contribute to the degradation and fragmentation of natural environments
.When gold mining contaminates the environment
Guyana has gold in its soils. This highly coveted resource is also the source of extensive pollution. The territory suffers from illegal gold panning, most often carried out by precarious workers, often from Brazil. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 "garimpeiros" in Guyana. The activity causes numerous environmental impacts: uncontrolled clearing, release of blocks of sediment into waterways that disrupt the ecological balance, and dumping of mercury to "trap the gold" which results in the contamination of the entire food chain. Moreover, the acidity of the soil favors the bioavailability of toxic metals, i.e. their capacity to be assimilated by plants and micro-organisms. The other environmental issue related to gold is its mining. A project carried out by the company "Montagne d'Or" has provoked strong controversy, the reaction of elected officials, associations and legal actions. Originally, it is an open-pit mining project in the heart of the Guyanese forest. The exploitation of the ore would require, in addition to deforestation, the construction of a road infrastructure and a fuel oil power plant, an extraction process by cyanurization, all near a nature reserve and a river. In 2019, the administrative court of Cayenne confirms the association that appealed against the prefectural order authorizing the exploitation of the site. In the summer of 2019, the French government announces its decision to stop the project, despite its support displayed in 2018. In December 2020, the administrative court of Cayenne, following Montagne d'Or's appeal, "enjoins the government" from continuing the concession. In January 2021, the government filed an appeal against this decision. In February 2022, the Constitutional Council rejected the extension of the mining concession following a referral from the Council of State, and this decision could well put a definitive stop to the Montagne d'or mining project.
The issue of waste and sanitation
Wastewater treatment is still deficient and poses problems of environmental and coastal pollution in urban areas. Waste management is still largely inadequate and raises the ire of the population. One example is the open-air landfill in Maripasoula, which was subject to fires in 2019, causing toxic fumes and the closure of public places for health reasons.
Facing climate change
Climate change in French Guiana could generate a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events: droughts, floods, landslides, coastal submersion. Low-carbon strategy projects have been initiated, based on biomass (including forestry plantations and energy crops), but they often come up against a lack of structure in the sectors. French Guiana also produces solar energy, via the Stoupan power plant, and hydroelectricity. The associative sector is very active, with awareness-raising programmes, studies and research, advocacy, but also actions to promote sustainable mobility.
