Description
The Chenier plains of Suriname, as part of the coastal Guiana Shield region, experience sediment exchange through an intricate combination of oceanic waves and tides. This can result in either erosion or the accumulation of muddy debris originating from the Amazon River, forming a low-level plain in the Holocene (Anthony et al., 2019; Augustinus et al., 1989; de Vries et al., 2022). The physical properties of mud and the resistance within the structure prevents itself from washing away, where it accumulates along the coast and eventually provide rapid vegetation growth, significantly the mangrove habitat (De Jong et al., 2021; de Vries et al., 2022). This is the definition of mud banks present along the coast, protecting itself against erosion and forming a natural barrier against the sea (Anthony et al., 2019; Brunier et al., 2022). Flood disasters in the Republic of Suriname have exacerbated in recent years by a rise in affected residential areas (ReliefWeb, 2022). The emergency is reoccurring in an annual trend and peaks during the rainy season (Pfeffer et al., 2015), that exceeds the soil capacity (pluvial flooding) with lesser occurrences of sea water intrusion in the coastline (Nijbroek, 2014; Rentschler et al., 2022). This poses an important socioeconomic issue for the developing and economi-cally dispositioned nation. The country has a population of a little above half a million, with most development, com-merce, and government infrastructure located in the low-lying coastal plain along the Atlantic Ocean (Kroonenberg & Noordam, 2018), concentrated in and around the capital city of Paramaribo (Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek Suri-name, 2023; Holband et al., 2020). Suriname has had to deal with these losses and damages, undertake adaptation interventions and build climate resilience mainly from its small national budget. Moreover, recognizing the vulnerability of the coast and ever-increas-ing impacts on a significant percentage of the population, Suriname’s dilemma is whether to continue to invest heavily in adaptation or relocate and rebuild its entire economy away from the threat of the rising sea. This would mean shifting inland, a massive costly venture which would also put pressure on the country’s forest resources and which could be jeopardizing Suriname’s contribution of maintaining 15 million ha forest as both a huge carbon sinks and the “lungs of the Earth” for the global community (United Nations Development Programme, 2020; United Nations Development Programme in Suriname, 2016).
Samenvatting (Dutch description)
Mangrove Rehabilitatie Project Weg naar Zee is een project in samenwerking van het Surinaamse ministerie van Openbare Werken (OW) en de Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname (AdeKUS) dat beoogt om herstel van de mangrovebegroeiing van de Surinaamse kust te bevorderen.
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