Guyana: Protected Areas, Landscape and Culture

Guyana can be explored through a variety of topics related to protected areas and landscapes. Kanashen combines the setting of an Indigenous village with the headwaters of the Essequibo River, mountains, grasslands and tropical forest. The focus at Kanuku Mountains Protected Area, by contrast, is on its size and the proportions of forest and savanna. The country’s National Protected Areas System also includes urban parks, while Kaieteur Falls holds cultural significance for the Patamona. Together, these topics offer different perspectives on the country’s nature and culture.

Protected Areas and Their History

Kanuku Mountains Protected Area and Shell Beach Protected Area were designated following decades of preparatory work with local communities and other stakeholders. Shell Beach is a national protected area in Guyana. Iwokrama is also among the country’s protected areas: the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, commonly known as Iwokrama, is one of Guyana’s five protected areas.

Kanashen Amerindian Protected Area was added to Guyana’s National Protected Areas System in 2017. It is considered the largest and first Indigenous-owned protected area. Different characteristics therefore stand out: a specific year of inclusion is given for Kanashen, while Iwokrama is described in terms of its place among the five protected areas. The designation of Kanuku and Shell Beach, in turn, followed decades of preparatory work and involved local communities.

Kanashen: Village, River Source and Landscape

Kanashen is Guyana’s southernmost Indigenous village. It is located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region and borders Brazil. About 300 Wai-Wai people live there. The headwaters of the Essequibo River are also part of Kanashen. The village, its community and the river source give the place several distinct dimensions: its significance can be understood through both its people and its landscape.

The landscape includes the mountains Wassarai, Yahore, Komoa and Kaiawakua, as well as extensive grasslands. Kanashen’s tropical forest covers about 648,000 hectares, or around three percent of Guyana’s land area. This figure describes the forest in relation to the country as a whole; it should not be equated with the area of a single protected area.

Area and Landscape Proportions at Kanuku

Kanuku Mountains Protected Area covers 611,000 hectares and has a circumference of about 590 kilometers. Area and circumference are two different measurements of the protected area. It accounts for about four percent of Guyana’s total forest area and consists of 99 percent forest and one percent savanna.

The percentages for Kanuku and Kanashen have different reference points: at Kanashen, the tropical forest accounts for around three percent of Guyana’s land area; for Kanuku, the approximately four percent refers to the country’s total forest area. This distinction helps put the figures in context. The figures for the composition of the Kanuku area also compare forest and savanna. The countrywide proportions and the vegetation distribution within this protected area can therefore be considered separately.

Urban Parks and Cultural Significance

Guyana’s National Protected Areas System also includes the Botanical Gardens, the Zoological Park, the National Park and Joe Vieira Park. These urban parks are a different part of the protected-area overview from the extensive forest and savanna areas. If their current status is important for your plans, check their designation before your visit.

Kaieteur Falls offers another perspective on Guyana’s natural sites. For the Indigenous Patamona people, the waterfall is an important spiritual place and a significant symbol. This cultural significance complements the geographical information about rivers, forests and protected areas with a distinct perspective on the relationship between a place and its community.

Discover more destinations: Demerara-Mahaica, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Potaro-Siparuni, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Curaçao.

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