IDB, UWI’s STACIE and AdeKUS bring highly specialized mangrove 3D scanning training to Suriname

Paramaribo, May 2025. The Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS), the University of the West Indies’ St. Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (STACIE) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) hosted on May 12 to 16^th a training on Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) using geosystems technology.

This specialized training was delivered by the UWI STACIE and was formulated to demonstrate the use of laser scanning technology to accurately measure mangrove ecosystems, including their structural attributes such as height and stem density, which are crucial for understanding their carbon storage potential. This training initiative is part of a broader regional Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) program funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Blue Carbon Fund which is administered by the IDB. In 2024, similar training sessions were conducted in Panama, Jamaica, and Colombia.

The training workshop, which was hosted by AdeKUS, brought together several participants from various national institutions involved in mangrove monitoring and management of restoration and conservation such as LBB, SBB, NMA, MINROM, CELOS, among others. The workshop introduced participants to the theory of the use of a ground-mounted laser scanner to improve the accuracy of measuring the structure of mangrove trees, which is needed to enhance the management of mangrove systems and  ensure long-term health of these ecosystems. “Suriname is making progress in monitoring mangroves — we are constantly working to estimate how many we have and in what condition, so we can standardize our methodology and set realistic expectations for conservation.”

expressed Valentien Moe Soe Let, Remote Sensing and GIS Expert, SBB.

Practical field sessions in the use of the laser were also conducted in Paramaribo, in which participants got the opportunity to use the scanner in the mangroves and become acquainted with the field techniques necessary for its utilization.  Classroom sessions were then conducted in the processing and analyses of the data collected. Visual images of the scanned mangrove trees and their characteristics were created from the exercise.

Impacting Suriname’s green agenda

The UK Blue Carbon Fund (UKBCF), managed by the IDB, aims to foster a transformational change towards the sustainable management of mangroves and coastal ecosystems by developing and implementing innovative approaches to the restoration and conservation of blue carbon ecosystems in the Caribbean and Latin America. The IDB’s Country Office in Suriname is also collaborating with the government to enhance and strengthen Suriname’s spatial planning, carbon emissions monitoring and reporting, environmental management, and data management to support and implement Suriname’s green development agenda.