National park and protected areas
French Guiana is home to a rich variety of ecosystems (savannahs, forests, coastlines) and a high level of endemism. The territory is home to almost 480 species of freshwater and brackish fish, a third of which are endemic. The equatorial forest and its vast, continuous canopy help maintain the evolutionary dynamics of life. The marine environment is home to rare species such as the Guiana dolphin. Protected areas have been set up to preserve this biodiversity hot spot.
Amazonian Park of French Guiana: created in 2007, this park aims to reconcile the protection of equatorial forest ecosystems, the activities of local communities and public awareness. Bordering on the Tumucumaque Mountains Park in Brazil, it forms a vast protected area covering 40% of French Guiana, on the borders of the Oyapock and Maroni rivers.
Guiana Regional Nature Park: created in 2001, this coastal park encompasses a wide variety of ecosystems (mangroves, marshes, savannahs, forests) and human communities. The park's mission is to protect biodiversity, welcome visitors and promote economic development.
Trésor Regional Nature Reserve: located in the northeast of the territory, this reserve protects the Kaw mountain ecosystems (forests, wet savannahs). It is possible to follow the "carbon trail", an educational tool inaugurated in 2005. The 1.4 km-long trail, dotted with information, highlights the link between the forest and climate change.
Nouragues National Nature Reserve : located in the heart of the equatorial forest, this reserve is home to a CNRS scientific station, which has produced numerous scientific studies.
Kaw-Roura National Nature Reserve : protects extremely rich ecosystems, including wetlands, savannahs and mountain forests.
La Trinité National Nature Reserve : located in the center of the territory and difficult to access, it boasts a wide variety of environments: savannahs, lowland and mountain forests, inselberg (a small isolated mountain massif). It is the subject of scientific studies and floristic inventories.
Amana National Nature Reserve: on the western coastline, this reserve is home to mangrove swamps and beaches, which are nesting sites for marine turtles.
Grand Connétable Island National Nature Reserve: protects the ecosystems and terrestrial and marine biodiversity of these two islets off the coast of French Guiana.
Mont Grand Matoury National Nature Reserve: located in a peri-urban area, this reserve preserves over 2,000 hectares of primary forest, and is a recreational and educational area.
The main threats to natural equilibrium are overexploitation of resources, illegal deforestation and infrastructure projects (roads, industry, coastal urbanization), which contribute to the degradation and fragmentation of natural environments.
When gold mining contaminates the environment
French Guiana has gold in its soils. This coveted resource is also the source of widespread pollution. The territory suffers from illegal gold panning, mostly carried out by precarious workers, often from Brazil. It is estimated that there are around 10,000 garimpeiros in French Guiana. The activity has a number of environmental impacts: uncontrolled clearing, the release of sediment blocks into watercourses, which disrupts the ecological balance, and the dumping of mercury to "trap the gold", which contaminates the entire food chain. Soil acidity also favours the bioavailability of toxic metals, i.e. their capacity to be assimilated by plants and micro-organisms. The other environmental issue linked to gold is its mining. A project led by the "Montagne d'Or" company is generating considerable controversy, prompting reactions from elected representatives and associations, as well as legal action. Originally, the project involved an open-pit mine in the heart of Guyana's forest. Exploitation of the ore would also require deforestation, the construction of a road infrastructure and a fuel-fired power plant, and a cyanuric extraction process, all close to a nature reserve and a river. In 2019, the Cayenne administrative court upheld the association's appeal against the prefectoral decree authorizing the site's development. In the summer of 2019, the French government announces its decision to halt the project, despite its support in 2018. In December 2020, the Cayenne administrative court, following Montagne d'Or's appeal, "enjoins the government" to continue the concession. In January 2021, the government lodged an appeal against this decision. In February 2022, the Conseil constitutionnel rejected the extension of the mining concession following a referral from the Conseil d'État, and this decision could well put a definitive stop to the Montagne d'or mining project. And it was 2 years later, on February 6, 2024, that the case came to an end, when the administrative court of appeal of the Bordeaux tribunal put the finishing touches to the extension of the Elysée and Montagne d'Or mining concessions in a very clear manner in its article1: " The request of the Compagnie minière Montagne d'Or company is rejected."
The issue of waste and sanitation
Wastewater treatment is still deficient and poses problems of environmental and coastal pollution in urban areas. Waste management is still largely inadequate and raises the ire of the population. One example is the open-air landfill in Maripasoula, which was subject to fires in 2019, causing toxic fumes and the closure of public places for health reasons.
Facing climate change
Climate change in French Guiana could generate a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events: droughts, floods, landslides, coastal submersion. Low-carbon strategy projects have been initiated, based on biomass (including forestry plantations and energy crops), but they often come up against a lack of structure in the sectors. French Guiana also produces solar energy, via the Stoupan power plant, and hydroelectricity. The associative sector is very active, with awareness-raising programmes, studies and research, advocacy, but also actions to promote sustainable mobility.
