Guyana
Guyana Protected Areas Trust - PAT
The Protected Areas Trust (PAT) - Guyana, a statutory corporate body established by the Protected Areas Act 2011, is governed independently by a Board of Trustees. Since its inauguration in 2014, PAT's mission has been to mobilize and allocate funds for the management of Guyana's National System of Protected Areas (NPS), which currently comprises approximately 5.5% of Guyana's land area. The Commission on Protected Areas administers protected areas in Guyana and the PAT was established to provide co-financing for protected area management primarily through the Commission. The PAT endowment fund is invested to generate income that will be used to support projects that contribute to or promote the conservation and preservation of biological diversity and the maintenance of ecosystem services in protected areas. In particular, PAT funds will co-finance the implementation of protected area management plans, strengthen monitoring and enforcement in protected areas, support sustainable community-based enterprises, biodiversity conservation, and environmental education and awareness.