A negative carbon footprint
On a global scale, only three countries have a negative carbon footprint. Bhutan, Panama and Suriname absorb moreCO2 than they emit. What they have in common is their dense forest cover. Trees have an exceptional ability to trap carbon dioxide. So much the better: they cover 93% of Suriname's surface area. But it would not be possible for the forest to absorb moreCO2 than the country produces, if it were not supported by national policies to reduce emissions, and in particular the extensive use of renewable and low-carbon energies. Thanks not only to these efforts, but also to its small population of just over 600,000, it is one of the world's lowest carbon emitters.
Record for largest forest area
With an impressive 93% of its territory covered by forest, Suriname holds the world record for the highest proportion of a national territory covered by forest. In terms of gross forest area, Suriname ranks 37th worldwide, with 153,000 km² of forest, despite being one of the smallest countries in the world.
Suriname's forest is all the more precious as it is one of the world's few remaining primary forests, i.e. those that have not been altered by man. Better still, it is part of the immense Amazon rainforest, the world's richest ecosystem.
An eroding coastline
Suriname is the country with the largest forest cover in the world, and over 90% of the population lives on the coast rather than inland. This brings with it other problems, not least that of encouraging erosion, to which the Surinamese coast is naturally very sensitive.
Yet these are particularly valuable ecosystems, including mangroves. These semi-submerged tropical forests are prime habitats for many species. What's more, they play a key role in combating erosion, as their roots anchor the soil, preventing it from collapsing.
Unfortunately, as they are highly sensitive to climate change, they are disappearing worldwide, and Suriname is no exception. The Weg Naar Zee area, north of the capital Paramaribo, is an excellent example of this, as it suffers from extreme erosion. The country, supported by the UN, is making great efforts to stem the problem. Anton de Kom University has developed a system based on ancestral techniques. Along the coasts, and particularly those of Weg Naar Zee, it places sediment traps, to fix the soil, and replants new vegetation, to combat the destructive effect of the waves. Since its implementation in 2016, this innovative and promising method is already being closely followed by academics around the world, with a view to perhaps applying it to other eroded coastlines around the world..
Bauxite: a poisoned gift
The Surinamese forest is not only rich in living species. Its soil hides another treasure it could do without: bauxite. It is this rock, one of the main components of aluminum production, that underpins Surinam's mining industry. This economic sector alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP.
Mining these precious minerals represents a major risk for the rainforest. Its galleries and quarries lead to the destruction of incomparably rich wild habitats. On top of this, it causes significant water pollution, notably through the use of mercury. Abnormally high concentrations of the toxic metal are found in the Maroni river basin. This river, which marks the border between Suriname and French Guiana, is the scene of extensive illegal gold panning on both banks. However, France and Suriname recently signed an agreement, welcomed by environmental NGOs, to put an end to this traffic.
Nature parks: essential barriers to gold mining
Suriname has one park and eleven nature reserves. They are all the more important as they represent areas of protection from mining. Created in 1970, Brownsberg Nature Park is a perfect example. Brownsberg, as it's known locally, is in fact a former mining site, and even takes its name from one of the first gold miners to have exploited it, John Brown. Today, the park is still a target for illegal gold miners, who were estimated to have set up camp there in 2012, numbering at least 1,500. But its legal protection limits the damage.
The small country also boasts one of the world's largest nature reserves: the Central Suriname Nature Reserve. With a surface area of over 1.6 million ha, it represents more than 10% of the country's surface area. It is made up of a mosaic of very diverse and particularly well-preserved ecosystems, with a combination of relief and a highly-developed hydrographic network, giving it an inestimably rich biodiversity. Jaguars, giant armadillos, tapirs, sloths and primates are found alongside more than 5,000 plant species. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve is so precious that it has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its ecological wealth.
The country's ten other reserves are also enclaves of biodiversity, and bear witness to Suriname's determination to protect its environment. The Pepperpot private reserve, a former coffee and cocoa plantation, has been converted into an ecological corridor just 10 minutes from the capital. The Coppenamemonding Nature Reserve, for its part, was listed in the Penal Code as an area of special interest as early as 1915, before becoming a nature reserve in 1961. Today, it is one of the country's most important bird sanctuaries.
