How Hosororo’s diversity fuels its fight against climate change

By Danielle Swain

danielle@newsroom.gy

For those who make the steep climb to Hosororo’s hilltop, the reward is both literal and figurative, a breathtaking view of lush green forests dotted with colourful houses that stretch into the horizon.

“Tranquilo, I stay,” says longtime resident, farmer, and newly minted Vice-Chair of the Community Development Council (CDC), Nigel Peters.

Peters arrived in the village in 1975 from Lovely Lass village on the West Coast of Berbice. Love is what made him stay: “As a man, I found my rib,” he says.

Love also compelled him to join Hosororo’s CDC.

“I was just a resident…to be honest, this place has scope to improve.”

Hosororo, perched 300 feet above sea level in the Mabaruma subdistrict, stands as an example of how plural hinterland communities are using their diversity to tackle the challenges of a changing climate.

Here in Guyana’s Barima Waini (Region One), the 286 families who call Hosororo home blend Indigenous traditions with modern innovations, thanks to funding from the nation’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

For centuries, Hosororo’s Lokono ancestors—known more widely as Arawaks, the name Europeans foisted upon them, practised horticulture along the banks of the Aruka River.

Today, this agricultural heritage remains central to the community’s identity, shared by a mix of Lokono, Warrau, and residents from all over Guyana who were drawn to the village’s irresistible allure. Yet climate change has introduced new hurdles: prolonged droughts, inconsistent water supply, and economic vulnerabilities.

Hosororo, however, is not just enduring these changes; it’s innovating. LCDS funding, derived from Guyana’s innovative carbon credits programme, has enabled projects that address the community’s most pressing needs: water security, transportation, and livelihoods.

Through village meetings and consensus, residents have used the funds to install black water tanks, acquire a community truck, and develop livestock farms. Though modest to outsiders, these initiatives are transforming lives on the hill.

Arnold Moonsammy, another Guyanese who settled in Hosororo, recalls how residents once fetched water from a creek at the base of the hill.

“It was very hard,” he says, describing early mornings spent carrying heavy buckets uphill. The introduction of water tanks, which collect rainwater and provide backup during dry seasons, has been life-changing. “The tanks have been a priority for everyone,” he says.

For pensioner Diane Richards, the difference is personal. As a diabetic, having a reliable water supply helps her manage her health and household. “I used to have to fetch water, but now I have running water, and I’m thankful for it,” she says.

Down the hill, under the shade of a mango tree, Shirley David, a mother of three, is building her dream of owning a chicken farm. With a grant from the LCDS, she started with 80 chicks and has grown her flock to 500.

“It’s been a steady process,” she says with a smile. “I’m thankful for the support I received through the LCDS.”

The community’s ambitions don’t end there.

The new village council, through the will of the people, has laid out plans for housing improvements, a mechanic shop for young residents, and a shade house to boost agricultural productivity. Vice-Chair Peters sees potential everywhere. “We’re working together to create opportunities for everyone.”

These projects are not just practical responses to climate challenges—they are symbols of resilience and self-reliance in a community that contributes the least to global emissions but feels its impacts the most. For Hosororo, adapting to climate change is about more than survival; it’s about thriving in harmony with its storied past and an uncertain future.