French Guiana

Este documento de referencia, elaborado por la UICN en colaboración con el ONERC sigue el procedimiento de la conferencia de la UICN "La Unión Europea y sus Territorios de Ultramar: Estrategias para hacer frente al Cambio Climático y la Pérdida de la Biodiversidad," tuvo lugar en la Isla de Reunión del 7 al 11 de julio de 2008. El documento ofrece por primera vez un análisis comparativo de las 28 entarget_idades de ultramar de la Unión Europea.

This background paper, produced by IUCN in collaboration with ONERC, follows the proceedings of the IUCN conference "The European Union and its Overseas Entities: Strategies to Counter Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss", which took place on Reunion Island from 7 to 11 July 2008. The paper offers for the first time a comparative analysis of the 28 overseas entities of the European Union.

Ce document de référence, réalisé par l'UICN en partenariat avec l'ONERC, offre pour la première fois une analyse comparative des 28 collectivités d'outremer de l'Union Européenne. En première partie, une analyse thématique dévoile les enjeux transversaux des collectivités et leurs menaces communes.

This background paper offers for the first time a comparative analysis of the 28 overseas entities of the European Union; its purpose is to establish the current state of existing knowledge on the impacts of climate change on the biodiversity of the European Union overseas entities. It starts with a thematic analysis presenting the transversal threats on overseas entities in the face of climate change.

The Guiana Shield has 10-15% of the world’s freshwater reserves, a virtually uninterrupted stretch of 2.5 million km2 of tropical rainforests and biodiversity that exists only in this region. This region performs vital functions for the world’s climate, the regional hydrology and the preservation of biological capital. Revenue from tourism from visitors enjoying the wonders of the Guiana Shield should be a sizeable part of the economy.

With 2.5 million square kilometers of largely intact tropical rainforest and savannah, 10-15% of the world’s fresh water reserves and an extremely rich and highly endemic biodiversity, the Guiana Shield ranks among the most important ecological regions in the world. This report highlights the Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of the Guiana Shield.

The relationship between protected natural areas and local human populations is extemely complex. This challenging book with diverse contributions from experts covering 13 countries, places the issues in context. Originally published in Spanish, it clearly demonstrates that people are part of most national parks, and policies which ignore their presence are doomed to failure.