In the Rupununi, the culture and traditions of the local people are strong and there is a general desire to maintain these in the face of rapid development.
The Rupununi is currently transitioning from a subsistence based economy to an integrated market-based (cash) economy. As greater economic development unfolds, there is increased pressure on ecosystems and a shift in the understanding of, and value attached to the ecosystem services provided.
CI is providing technical guidance and funding to support the administration of Region 9 to champion a Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD) to guide this current process of change in the Rupununi
What
The PARD is a plan for managing the long term strategic, economic, social, cultural and environmental development in the administrative regions in Guyana.
Why
The decentralization of decision-making encourages increased integration of sustainable development efforts at the regional and community levels. The Regional Administrative Council of Region 9 will be more empowered than before to make wise decisions.
How
Through a platform created for stakeholder engagement, thousands of Guyanese who live in Region 9 are more aware of the importance of participating in the processes for planning sustainable development at a regional scale.
A fully participatory approach is used, with communities and interest groups communicating and contributing their aspirations, interests, knowledge and resources. This is done with a collaborative spirit of reaching agreement on viable courses of action, which respect shared values and meets economic and social needs equitably.
What we are doing
The PARD consists of three policy instruments which describe how the region will be managed in the next 10-year period:
- Regional Strategy: a vision for the region reflecting shared values and development priorities, strategies and targets on the economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions to be maintained, improved and realised.
- Regional Action Plan: translates strategies into annual workplans, mobilises resources (assets, funding, human resources) for activities, assigns roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and a monitoring plan to track progress.
- Regional Land-Use Plan: a map of the current and future management of land, water and other natural resources, including what activities are located or permitted where, and under what conditions.
Our Partners
The Regional Democratic Council for Region 9 is leading on this project, with support from CI. The RDC-9 and the Regional Administration are responsible for managing the PARD process and has final decision-making authority on regional development.