Nature based solutions – Guianas South America
Discover the future of coastal protection: nature-based solutions. Embracing the strength of coastal habitats like mangroves and dunes, these innovative approaches offer sustainable defenses against erosion and flooding, blending nature’s resilience with cutting-edge protection.
- Suriname -
Suriname is particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change due to its characteristic of lowlying coastal zones. In Paramaribo, where the majority of the economic activities take place and that has the highest population concentration, the impacts of sea level rise and anthropogenic disturbances (including hydrology change, infrastructure developments and removal of mangroves) are therefore significant. Without an integrated, system-based approach, the coastal system in front of Paramaribo, in particular the section known as “Weg naar Zee”, is subject to erosion and flooding of the hinterlands.
Project: Nature-based Solutions Weg Naar Zee
Feasibility Study - Accelerate mangrove restoration through beneficial
reuse of dredged material
The coastal zones of Suriname are vulnerable to climate change impacts, particularly in low-lying areas like Weg naar Zee near Paramaribo. Rising sea levels and human activities have led to erosion and flooding. Two contrasting solutions have been debated: a traditional dike (grey solution) or mangrove restoration (nature-based solution). Globally, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining recognition for their cost-effectiveness, adaptability, and co-benefits like biodiversity increase and carbon storage. In Suriname, the restoration of mangroves for coastal safety is gaining support, with a key project led by Professor Sieuw Naipal of Anton de Kom University. This initiative, backed by CI Suriname and later by the governments of Suriname and the Netherlands, aims to restore mangroves using sediments from the Suriname river for accelerated restoration. This innovative approach combines dredged sediment with mangrove restoration, promising efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The proposed feasibility study encompasses technical, financial, legal, environmental, and social aspects, fostering stakeholder collaboration along Suriname’s coast and neighboring areas. The project’s beneficiaries include coastal communities, the government, business sectors, and agriculture, which faces threats from erosion. The project’s components include baseline monitoring, mud nourishment feasibility, and stakeholder engagement. Deltares and Boskalis, Dutch water sector partners, contribute to this collaborative effort, which marks a significant step towards protecting Suriname’s coast.
