Suriname invests in healthy soils

Suriname is a country rooted in healthy soils. Over 90% of its territory is covered with tropical rainforest, making it one of the most forested countries in South America and the world. Mangroves cluster along the Atlantic Ocean, dense pristine rainforest extends from the Amazon biome, while farmers grow rice, fruits and vegetables in the fertile coastal plains.

Over 70% of the population lives in the coastal capital city, Paramaribo. But urbanization leads to land degradation, and climate change – with its heavy rainfall, flooding, and higher temperatures – threatens long-term food security.

To protect the land and soils that nurture such an abundance of biodiversity, the Government of Suriname is working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on a Green Climate Fund (GCF) supported project that aims to monitor soil health.

Through this GCF Readiness project, local soil experts have been empowered to build a unified national soil monitoring system. The initiative provides experts with tools such as Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) and Global Soil Organic Carbon Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (GSOC MRV) protocols to manage soils in a sustainable way in a developing urban landscape.

From policy to fieldwork

In April 2025, experts from cross-cutting scientific fields – such as sustainable soil management, soil carbon monitoring, and plant nutrition – gathered at Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS) and CELOS for a four-day workshop that focused on enhancing national capacity to collect, analyze, and report soil data more effectively.

The event marked a significant step toward building a more robust and unified soil monitoring system in the country.

Jurmen Adang, Head Policy Officer at the Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment, notes that hands-on training with tools like EX-ACT "has directly enhanced our ability to perform more accurate Tier 2 carbon dioxide calculations."

This shift reduces reliance on external consultants and provides a "credible foundation for our national climate action plans," ensuring that urban development decisions are based on hard scientific evidence. This national agenda is inextricably linked to the fieldwork that feeds the growing city population.

Yves Diran, Leader of the Crop Management Program at the Rice Research Centre, emphasizes that “in agriculture, including rice production, soil is the basis for food production.”

He explains that the new skills facilitate "the development of climate-smart agricultural practices that not only improve rice yields but also contribute to greenhouse gas reduction," connecting rural soil health directly to urban food security.

A unified database for resilient planning

Perhaps the most critical advancement for future urban planning is the standardization of data. Previously, harmonizing data from different sources was a hurdle.

These new standardized methodologies are a "game-changer" according to Ansmarie Soetosenojo-Ngu Chin Tjon, Head of the Chemical Laboratory at the Center for Agricultural Research in Suriname.

The goal is a "single, reliable national soil database," which she notes is "invaluable for agricultural planning, land degradation monitoring, and training the next generation of Surinamese soil experts."

For a city like Paramaribo, this database is the blueprint for deciding where to build and where to preserve green spaces.

To ensure this momentum endures, the knowledge is being embedded within Suriname’s institutions through a new ‘Mentoring Handbook for Soils’ and a roadmap for operationalizing the monitoring system.

On this World Soil Day, Suriname offers a powerful example of the “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities” theme in action. By investing in local expertise and data systems, the country is building the foundation necessary to manage urban sprawl, protect its biodiversity, and ensure a food-secure future for its capital and beyond.

About FAO and the Green Climate Fund

FAO supports countries’ efforts to access the GCF Readiness Programme, which fosters country ownership of projects by strengthening institutional capacities, governance mechanisms, and planning and programming frameworks in accordance with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other national climate change strategies.

The FAO–GCF readiness portfolio includes 114 projects valued at USD 93.4 million, with 24 approved for National Adaptation Plans and adaptation planning processes.