Green Growth Suriname Foundation wants to include larger groups from society in forest governance. In order to create more engagement from the public to be involved with the governance of nature, it developed a three-layered model, consisting of:

• Research: Near-real time satellite monitoring with the technology of Satelligence
  The database shows bi-weekly alerts of changes in the forest coverage in the production area of Suriname’s forest (25% of the land area); these results are shared via the Busi Taki website to give people more insights in the types and pace of changes in the hinterland.
• Engagement: Citizen science through the Green Growth Forests app
  Together with Spotteron, a leading global platform for citizen science applications, GGS developed a Green Growth Forests app as part of a larger citizen science planning effort. Once someone sees (signs of) deforestation or logging, one could snap a picture and record the entry in the app. The mobile app was made available to the public in August 2020, and was made available to Guyana in January 2021. The data is public via the website https://app.greengrowthsuriname.org
• Awareness: Awareness through webseries in Busi Taki
  A weekly episode by nature-enthusiast and journalist Christio Wijnhard gives the general public information on all kinds of nature related topics in Suriname. The serie also accumulates information from the Green Growth Forest app and/or the satellite monitoring data. Follow the webseries on https://busitaki.sr

The triangulation of the three activities will help to open up the forestry sector to the public, especially the governance part, with more and readily available information on the activities in the forest. All data is shared with researchers and government institutes to advance their work and policies.

GGS performs studies and assessments that serve as building blocks for government. We deliver technical advice on policy matters and deliver these as input to the decision-making. Building blocks that we have worked on, are:

• Design of a fee structure for Environmental Impact Assessments that are now compulsory under the Environmental Framework Law (2020)
• An assessment of historic multilateral and bilateral funding for Suriname’s conservation agenda, aswell as possible new funds Suriname can tap into
• An assessment for an environmental taxing structure based on the Environmental Framework Law’s condition “the polluter pays”
• A realignment of the draft text of the Nature Conservation Act with the new applicable Environmental Framework Law; this text is under review of the Government
• An assessment of the current protected areas network and opportunity to introduce IUCN Categories for Protected Areas into legislation
• An assessment of Environment Funds and a design proposal for the Suriname Environment Fund, which should be introduced as a consequence of the Environmental Framework Law (2020)

The Trio tribe decided to put forward parts of the funds available to them (under the enhancement of self-governance of the Trio tribe program) to a socio-economic project in the village of Kwamalasamutu. They have built a community-owned guesthouse to accommodate (paying) guests to the village.

In 2020 a project started to advance forest conservation through a community-owned brazil-nut enterprise in Alalapadu. The brazil nut facility was already in production thanks to a partnership of the Alalapadu community and Conservation International Suriname.

Green Growth Suriname Foundation has supported the community foundation and Conservation International Suriname, in a one-year project, to diversify the product range of the community-owned facility by researching, designing and setting up a roasted nuts product line. The roasted nuts are an enhancement of the current Tuhka brand, which already has a Tuhka oil product. At the same time the community is trained and supported in conservation monitoring of their 235,000 ha area which the community pledged to help conserve under a conservation agreement with Conservation International Suriname. See tuhka.sr for more information.

To build national awareness on the importance of nature and protection (a.o. through appropriate legislation) a national campaign is ongoing under the brand FOREST93. 93% forest. 100% Surinamese. The campaign includes visuals around town (billboards, posters), video and radio commercials, social media campaigns and highly visible branding projects through partner projects with Surinam Airways (national flight carrier), NV Luchthavenbeheer (Airport Management), the Sabiso TV-Quiz show and the Paramaribo Live Museum beautification of Paramaribo project.

The Foundation has a focus on building capacity for nationals interested in nature and conservation.
Since the start of the foundation, the organization uses part of its funds for Green Growth Champions. Amongst those are i) the oldest organisation for indigenous in Suriname, the Organisation of Indigenous Suriname (OIS), ii) the Trio tribe in the South of Suriname, represented by Granman Ashongo Alalaparoe and iii) Trijana, the consolidated foundation of the Wayana and Trio tribe, who populate the nine villages in South Suriname and are internationally recognized as the best conservationists in the region.
Next to this, the organization selected young nationals for an internal capacity building program, offering participants a lecture series with professionals within the environment sector.

The new Environmental Framework Law (2020) opened up new opportunities to attract and manage environment financing. Together with the Ministry of Spatial Planning & Environment (Min. ROM) and the National Institute for Environment and Development (NIMOS) Green Growth Suriname made an assessment around the current environment finance experience in the country and other, still untapped, financing opportunities . This project includes a thorough capacity building program for 40+ selected policymakers introducing them to modern environmental financing concepts and trends. The assessments and training will lead to a roadmap for environment financing, which the government could use as input in the design of their climate financing strategy.