The Amerindian peoples of Guyana remain very vulnerable to the take-over of their customary lands by logging, mining and the creation of protected areas. Only about half of the Amerindians in the country as yet have titles to their land, and of those who do the majority complain that the titles encompass only a small proportion of the lands they customarily occupy and use. In 2003 we supported the Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana to compile a map showing the extent of Amerindian land claims, the extent of current titled lands and their overlap with all existing mining and logging concessions and proposed protected areas. The maps are being used to help resolve land conflicts and inform dialogues and negotiations with government agencies, mining and logging companies, and conservation agencies. Amerindians are especially concerned about the threats to their unsecured lands posed by a new road that will cut through central Guyana from Brazil. For full documentation of FPP's work in Guyana, see Publications and reports in the Forest Peoples Programme section of this site. Community
mapping in Venezuela | |||