Case Study on the impact of climate change on Agriculture on an Indigenous Community in Guyana

Case Study on the impact of climate change on Agriculture on an Indigenous Community in Guyana

June 22, 2015

Part of a regional study titled Enhancing Gender Visibility in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change in the Caribbean the  Guyana  case  study  provides  a  detailed  account  of  how  gender  roles  in  an Amerindian  setting  have  changed  gradually  over  the  years  in  response  to  socio  and  economic pressures  at  the  household  level,  as  well  as  changes  in  individual  aspirations.  The case study also illustrates how local populations have learnt to adjust to climatic changes. 

This adaptation is based on a deep understanding of, and harmonious existence with, their environment. The forest is their ‘supermarket’ and has for many centuries provided materials to ensure their survival. This level of dependence has encouraged sustainable utilization of forests that is also urgently needed at the regional level, given the unprecedented rate of resource depletion and the increasing global environmental risks posed by climate change.