Nature in Suriname

Suriname’s natural landscapes include coastal mudflats, mangroves, salt and brackish lagoons, swamps and shell ridges. Inland areas contain lowland rainforest, savannas, river basins, mountain ranges, inselbergs and tepuis. Julianatop is the country’s highest point at 1,230 metres. These habitats support jaguars, giant armadillos, giant otters, tapirs, sloths, eight primate species, harpy eagles, Guianan cock-of-the-rock, scarlet macaws, caimans and many freshwater and coastal fish. Coastal wildlife includes leatherback and green sea turtles and the scarlet ibis. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve contains more than 5,000 vascular plant species and about 400 bird species. As of 2026, Suriname’s formal protection system includes 11 nature reserves, four Multiple Use Management Areas (MUMAs), one nature park and two specially protected forests. MUMAs combine biodiversity protection with regulated sustainable use. The nature reserves are Central Suriname, Wia Wia, Brinckheuvel, Copi, Coppename Mouth, Galibi, Sipaliwini, Upper Coesewijne, Wanekreek, Peruvia and Hertenrits. The MUMAs are Bigi Pan, North Coronie, North Commewijne-Marowijne and North Saramacca. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve was established in 1998, covers about 1.592 to 1.6 million hectares, represents roughly 11% of Suriname’s territory and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. It covers parts of the Coppename, Lucie, Zuid, Saramacca, Tapanahony and Gran Rio river basins and is largely remote and uninhabited. The Natuurbeschermingswet 1954, amended in 1992, provides the main legal framework for nature reserves. The Dienst ’s Lands Bosbeheer (LBB), within the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management, manages the reserves and its Nature Management section handles nature protection. Authorities may close a reserve or part of it. Entering a closed area without written permission is prohibited, and activities that negatively affect the integrity of a protected area are prohibited. Hunting, capturing, killing, possessing, trading or transporting protected wild animals or their parts is restricted under the Jachtwet 1954 and Jachtbesluit 2002. Animals not listed in the hunting calendar are protected. CITES and LBB permits are required for importing or exporting wild animals, plants, parts or products; under the published procedure, CITES Appendix I species cannot be exported. Scientific collecting in a reserve requires a special permit. Nature use in Suriname includes subsistence and small-scale hunting, fishing, non-timber forest products, forestry and nature tourism. Bigi Pan fishing requires permission and agreement from the Visserijdienst. The Green Iguana has a closed hunting season from 1 September to 31 December. Fishing pressure, bycatch, loss of spawning grounds and declining shrimp stocks affect aquatic ecosystems, while small-scale gold mining drives major forest loss and adds sediment and mercury to rivers, creeks and aquatic food chains. Other pressures include agriculture and pesticides, urbanisation, infrastructure, logging, coastal sand extraction, fishing, waste, offshore oil and gas risks, poaching, turtle-egg collection and illegal wildlife trade. Leatherback nesting has fallen sharply compared with 20 years ago. Weak monitoring, limited data, financing, enforcement capacity and outdated conservation law make protection more difficult. The Nature Management section, the Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname (STINASU), the National Zoological Collection, Anton de Kom University of Suriname and the Centre for Economic and Social Scientific Research support public information, research, training and conservation. STINASU organises nature education, research support and sustainable-use guidance. Its current tourist arrangements primarily cover Brownsberg and Raleighvallen; other STINASU locations are currently closed to tourism. Brownsberg covers about 12,000 to 12,200 hectares in Brokopondo, around 30 kilometres south of Paramaribo, with a plateau above 500 metres, waterfalls and trails. Reaching Raleighvallen and the Central Suriname Nature Reserve usually involves four to six hours by road to Witagron and three to five hours by boat, or about one hour by air. Bigi Pan covers about 136,000 hectares and offers documented boating, birdwatching, fishing and lodge-based visits. Transport, meals and guides are generally separate from STINASU arrangements, and opening status, prices, transport and permits should be confirmed directly before departure. Coastal erosion, sediment movement, sea-level rise, storm surges, flooding, changing rainfall, more extreme rain events, rising temperatures and El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability affect Suriname’s natural systems. Around Weg naar Zee, the coast has retreated by about 200 metres over the last decade. Mangroves reduce coastal exposure, store carbon and provide habitat and nursery areas for fish and other animals. Nature-based responses include sediment trapping and mangrove rehabilitation, including a documented two-kilometre project, with regional priority in Coronie and Nickerie. The National Adaptation Plan 2019–2029, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2035, the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2024–2030, mangrove monitoring and coastal management plans guide responses. Projects affecting land or resources may require environmental assessment under the Environmental Framework Act 2020, amended in 2024, and the 2025 State Decree on assessment criteria and procedures. The National Environment Authority handles this framework, while EIA documents and public comments are made available through the NIMOS repository. An existing mining, forestry or other concession does not by itself remove the need to assess effects on nature. Indigenous and Maroon communities, traditional authorities and other resource-dependent communities should be involved early because concessions cover about one quarter of the country and may overlap with living and use areas. Nature protection can therefore conflict with mining, forestry, fishing, sand extraction, agriculture, infrastructure and offshore energy. The legal status and protection scope of the 2026 draft Wet Bescherming Woon- en Leefgebieden should be checked before relying on it for a specific activity. Questions about protected areas, suspected poaching or other nature-law violations can be directed to LBB Nature Management at Cornelis Jongbawstraat 10–12 in Paramaribo. STINASU is at Cornelis Jongbawstraat 14. Environmental concerns can also be submitted through the Burgermeldpunt or the National Environment Authority. Nature protection in Suriname combines formal rules, scientific monitoring, sustainable use, tourism and community participation; the responsible authority, access conditions and permitted activity must be checked for the particular location.