A dramatic escalation of regional unrest in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, after Saudi Arabia ordered an emergency temporary shutdown of its critical East-West crude oil pipeline on Saturday, triggered by a damaging drone attack.\n\nSpanning 1,200 kilometers across the Arabian Peninsula, the East-West pipeline serves as a linchpin of global oil exports from the Middle East, a role that has grown increasingly vital in recent months as the Strait of Hormuz, another key energy chokepoint, has been largely rendered unusable by ongoing regional conflict. Satellite imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC on September 11, 2026, shows visible damage to infrastructure along the pipeline’s route, located southeast of Medina. The assault left multiple casualties and destroyed multiple structures, including a local mosque in the Jazan region.\n\nBoth Baghdad and Riyadh have pinned responsibility for the attack on Iran-backed militias operating within Iraqi territory. In response to the security breach, Iraqi military officials have dismissed a senior regional military commander amid the fallout.\n\nThe pipeline shutdown has immediately disrupted global oil flows. The route carries 4 to 5 million barrels of crude daily, accounting for roughly 4% to 5% of total global oil supply. Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain consistent export volumes is now under threat, piling unprecedented pressure on already tight energy markets worldwide.\n\nCompounding the crisis, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have expanded their military control over key Red Sea shipping lanes by seizing the strategic island of Perim, which sits at the heart of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—commonly known as the “Gate of Tears,” another of the world’s most critical chokepoints for global oil trade. The capture significantly strengthens the Houthi’s ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the region.\n\nGrowing insecurity around major energy transit routes has already triggered sharp volatility in energy pricing. Global crude benchmarks have risen steeply over the past week, while diesel prices in the United States have surged to an all-time record, topping $6 per gallon.\n\nIn response to the expanding threat, Saudi Arabia has formally requested direct military support from the United States to counter Houthi advances. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he has held discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but clarified that Washington will not deploy direct military intervention at this stage. Instead, the U.S. will provide intelligence sharing support to Riyadh. Separately, Houthi representatives confirmed they have reached out to the U.S. government to request that Washington avoid direct involvement in the conflict.
标签： Suriname
苏里南
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Barbados kijkt naar Suriname voor import bouwmaterialen
As the Caribbean nation of Barbados ramps up its push for large-scale infrastructure development, it is actively exploring opportunities to import key construction materials – silica sand and crushed stone aggregate – from neighboring CARICOM member Suriname, according to recent high-level diplomatic talks held this week. The push for imports comes as Barbados’ own domestic reserves of these critical building materials have declined significantly, creating a supply gap that needs to be filled to support the government’s accelerated infrastructure agenda.
Senior Minister Kerrie Symmonds of Barbados confirmed the country’s interest in Friday’s discussions, which were held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre with Surinamese officials and a delegation from N.V. Grassalco, Suriname’s state-owned mining enterprise. “Historically, we have relied heavily on our domestic deposits to meet our needs for silica sand and aggregate, but those reserves have dropped off dramatically in recent years,” Symmonds explained during the talks. “That means we now have to source a large share of our required construction materials from international suppliers, and Suriname stands out as a natural, strategic partner.”
As a fellow member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Suriname, located on the South American mainland, holds abundant untapped natural resources that can deliver tangible economic benefits to Barbados at a competitive advantage over non-regional suppliers. The ongoing discussions with Grassalco are also part of a broader initiative to revitalize bilateral economic cooperation between the two nations, which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic after the signing of the landmark Brokopondo Agreement in 2018.
The Brokopondo Agreement outlines cooperation frameworks across multiple key sectors, including maritime and air connectivity, tourism development, agriculture and food security, trade and investment, natural resource development, and renewable energy. “Now that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, we are working to restart implementation of the critical commitments laid out in the Brokopondo Agreement,” Symmonds noted. Beyond construction materials, Barbados has also signaled interest in exploring collaborative opportunities in Suriname’s growing oil and gas sector, as well as joint renewable energy projects.
Symmonds emphasized that the longstanding positive political and diplomatic ties between the two CARICOM nations should now be translated into concrete, mutually beneficial economic outcomes. For Grassalco, which was founded in 1971 and specializes in the exploration and extraction of mineral resources including gold and natural stone, a new trade agreement with Barbados could open the door to expanded regional market access for Suriname’s mineral products. If negotiations progress successfully, this partnership could mark the first step for Suriname to establish itself as a leading regional supplier of construction raw materials across the Caribbean bloc.
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Guyana verdiende ruim US$2,5 miljard aan olie in 2025
Guyana, one of South America’s fastest-emerging oil producers, has released its 2025 annual report for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) — the sovereign wealth vehicle that holds all of the country’s oil and gas sector revenue — revealing key figures that shed light on how the nation manages its newly found natural resource wealth.
Last year, total inflows into the NRF reached $2.509 billion from the country’s offshore oil operations, representing a modest 2.3% decline from the 2024 total inflow of $2.568 billion. The vast majority of this 2025 revenue came from profit oil — the share of crude output that Guyana claims as part of its production sharing agreements with international oil companies. According to prior data published by Minister of Finance Ashni Singh, profit oil contributed roughly $2.1 billion to the fund in 2025. Royalty payments added another $330.7 million, while a $15 million signing bonus from a new production contract was also deposited into the sovereign fund.
The most striking takeaway from the annual report is that Guyana’s government withdrew nearly as much capital from the NRF as was deposited over the course of the year. Total withdrawals hit $2.463 billion, a more than 55% jump from the $1.586 billion pulled from the fund in 2024. This 2025 withdrawal amount aligns almost exactly with the annual approved budget ceiling of $2.464 billion, meaning the government utilized nearly 100% of its permitted withdrawal allocation for the year. Disbursements were spread evenly across 2025: two $400 million transfers to Guyana’s Consolidated Fund were made in February and April, followed by multiple $200 million installments, with a final $463 million withdrawal processed in late December.
Under Guyana’s existing national legislation, all funds withdrawn from the NRF are transferred to the country’s Consolidated Fund, where they are earmarked for national development priorities and economic growth-driving investments that benefit the broader public. This framework was designed to ensure that oil revenue is directed toward long-term national progress rather than accumulated solely as reserve capital.
Guyana first launched commercial crude production from its massive offshore Stabroek Block in December 2019. Over the subsequent six years, production has expanded rapidly as multiple floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels were brought online. By the end of 2025, four FPSOs — the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity, and One Guyana — were operating at the Stabroek Block, supporting ongoing output growth.
Looking ahead, Guyana’s government projects that total oil revenue will grow in 2026. Forecasts call for around $2.4 billion in profit oil earnings and $375.3 million in royalty payments next year, alongside an additional $17 million in signing bonuses from a new exploration agreement for Block S7. Despite the large-scale withdrawals in 2025, the NRF still holds more than $3 billion in reserve capital, with an end-of-year 2025 balance sitting at approximately $3.25 billion.
In just a few years, substantial oil reserves and consistent revenue growth have transformed Guyana into one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the Western Hemisphere, with far-reaching implications for the country’s economic trajectory and regional standing.
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RR- en DR-leden binnenland krijgen training in taken en verantwoordelijkheden
Paramaribo, Suriname – September 13 – Over 60 administrative officials and elected members from Regional Councils (RR) and District Councils (DR) representing the Sipaliwini and Boven-Suriname regions are gathered in Nieuw Aurora for a three-day capacity-building training focused on clarifying roles, responsibilities and official functions within Suriname’s local governance framework. Running from September 11 to 13, the program is being delivered by Zagra’s Consultancy N.V. and forms a core initiative under the Tyubi di Matu project, led by the Vereniging van Samaaka Gemeenschappen (VSG, or the Association of Saramaka Communities).
The training curriculum centers explicitly on defining the formal position of local government officials within Suriname’s broader governance hierarchy. Participants are guided through deep dives into job scope, mandated tasks, and clear boundaries of authority and accountability. Organizers designed the program to directly address gaps in role clarity that often hinder rural public administration, with the core goal of equipping participants to carry out their work more professionally and effectively.
Event leaders emphasize that clearly delineated roles and responsibilities are a foundational requirement for a well-functioning local public sector. When officials have a precise understanding of their individual and collective roles, the benefits extend beyond improved personal performance: clearer role boundaries also foster smoother cross-functional collaboration across different levels of local governance structures.
Beyond theoretical knowledge transfer, the training incorporates interactive sessions that center on real-world practical scenarios and peer-to-peer experience sharing. Participants work through case studies to explore how different governance responsibilities play out in day-to-day rural administration, testing best practices for implementation in their home districts. “Professional performance starts with knowing exactly what your role entails and what accountability comes with it,” organizers explained in a statement during the event. “When every official understands their position well, they can deliver better results and complement the work of other team members within the governance structure more effectively.”
For the VSG and Zagra’s Consultancy, the training represents a targeted investment in advancing the professionalization of local governance in Suriname’s inland rural regions. Ultimately, the program’s backers argue that stronger role clarity, expanded knowledge of mandates, and clearer accountability frameworks will translate to tangible improvements in public service delivery for local communities across Sipaliwini and Boven-Suriname. The three-day program is scheduled to conclude later on September 13, with a closing session focused on synthesizing key takeaways and developing actionable plans for participants to apply new skills and knowledge in their daily work moving forward.
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Benauwd, bewolkt en kans op onweersbuien in de middag
On Sunday, September 13, Suriname is forecast to experience a sweltering, oppressive day marked by thick cloud cover and an increasing risk of intense thunderstorms moving into the afternoon and early evening, the country’s meteorological service has confirmed.
Temperatures will climb well into the mid-30s Celsius across most populated regions, with the capital Paramaribo and its surrounding districts expecting a range of 23 to 36 degrees Celsius. Coastal areas and parts of the country’s interior will see even higher mercury levels, peaking near 37 degrees Celsius. Compounding the uncomfortable heat is high atmospheric humidity, which will make the actual temperature feel far hotter than the reading on standard thermometers.
For most of the day, overcast or mostly cloudy conditions will dominate. While occasional breaks may allow brief glimpses of sunlight, the day will not be fully clear or sunny. Winds will stay light, blowing primarily from the east or northeast at speeds below 3 on the Beaufort scale. This calm wind pattern will trap heat close to the surface, preventing any significant cooling throughout the day.
Meteorologists are highlighting the late afternoon and early evening as the period requiring the most attention. During this window, the chance of thunderstorms will rise substantially, with the highest risk of heavy rain concentrated in the interior and northwestern parts of the country. The developing storms are expected to form quickly, bringing severe conditions that include lightning strikes and short, strong wind gusts.
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Modi en Xi proberen banden te herstellen tijdens BRICS-top in New Delhi
On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit held in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a landmark bilateral meeting on Saturday, aimed at mending fractured relations between the world’s two most populous nations. This encounter represents the latest milestone in a gradual rapprochement process that began after a deadly 2020 border confrontation that left dozens of soldiers dead from both sides.
This summit marks President Xi’s first visit to India since 2019, a symbolic step that underscores the cautious warming of ties between the two neighboring rivals. In his opening remarks, President Xi emphasized that China approaches its relationship with India from a long-term, strategic perspective, according to statements carried by China’s state news agency Xinhua. He called for deeper bilateral collaboration, noting that both nations can leverage their respective complementary strengths to support shared development. As two major powers of the Global South, Xi added, China and India bear a collective responsibility to advance the formation of a multipolar world and uphold global peace and stability.
For his part, Prime Minister Modi thanked China for its cooperation in preparations for the 2025 BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to be hosted in China next year. Modi stressed that maintaining peace and tranquility along the disputed border region is a foundational requirement for expanding broader bilateral cooperation. A statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to reaching a fair, mutually acceptable resolution to the long-running border dispute.
“Differences must not be allowed to turn into disputes,” Modi said, outlining three core guiding principles for bilateral engagement: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity to each other’s core interests, and a focus on mutual benefit.
Beyond border issues, the two leaders held wide-ranging talks on strengthening people-to-people ties and bilateral trade, addressing persistent trade imbalances, resolving supply chain disruptions, and expanding reciprocal market access. This meeting follows high-level talks held last year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit during Modi’s attendance at the event, a China-founded regional bloc focused on political, economic, and security cooperation.
Tensions remain high across the remote, mountainous Ladakh border region, where the 2020 clash killed at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese service members. To this day, both sides maintain thousands of troops and heavy military deployments along the disputed line of control, and have ramped up infrastructure construction along their respective sides of the border. Despite incremental steps to reduce friction, deep-seated strategic mistrust continues to overshadow bilateral relations, with multiple long-standing sticking points remaining unresolved.
Outstanding points of contention include the unresolved border dispute, India’s large and growing trade deficit with China, New Delhi’s restrictions on Chinese investment and technology firms, and broader strategic rivalry across the Indo-Pacific region. Economically, China has maintained a significant lead over India since the two nations’ 1962 border war, holding a substantial trade surplus that has fueled growing economic competition. India has sought to position itself as an alternative manufacturing hub for foreign firms, capitalizing on rising labor costs in China and growing Western geopolitical tensions with Beijing, while also maintaining deep skepticism of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which it has firmly opposed over sovereignty concerns.
In recent years, India has also deepened its strategic partnership with the United States, a shift that has sparked growing concern in Beijing, which views the alignment as part of a broader Western strategy to counter China’s regional rise. Saturday’s high-profile meeting is widely seen as a key test of whether the recent softening of tensions between the two powers can translate into lasting broader stability across the bilateral relationship.
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Geen eer te halen voor Suriname en Venezuela met overeenkomst visserijsector
A long-running regulatory gap in the fishing sector between Suriname and Venezuela has finally been addressed through a new bilateral agreement, but the head of Suriname’s leading seafood industry body says neither government can claim credit for resolving a problem that was left unattended for nearly two decades.
Udo Karg, who serves as both president of the Suriname Seafood Association (SSA) and CEO of local fishing enterprise SUVVEB N.V., laid out the context of the new deal in a recent statement, explaining that the original permits authorizing Venezuelan fishing vessels and crews to operate in partnership with Suriname expired all the way back in 2007. For 19 years, neither government moved to formalize an extension or restructure the existing arrangement, leaving the legal status of the involved parties in limbo. Karg placed a disproportionate share of responsibility for the delay on Venezuela, noting that Caracas shared an obligation to ensure the arrangement remained legally up to date.
“In the signing of this agreement, there is actually no credit to be gained, not by Suriname and also not by Venezuela,” Karg stated, adding that the issue had dragged on for far too long even after the European Union raised concerns about the unclear regulatory status.
Importantly, Karg pushed back against public misinterpretations of the new deal, clarifying that the expiration of original permits does not mean Venezuelan fishermen have been operating illegally in Suriname’s waters since 2007. For nearly two decades after the original permits lapsed, the crews and vessels have continued working under contract for Surinamese fishing companies, carrying out day-to-day fishing operations in exchange for payment and making consistent contributions to Suriname’s domestic seafood economy.
Karg emphasized the critical distinction between the unresolved legal status of the arrangement and the legitimate on-the-ground work the Venezuelan crews have performed for years. The new agreement only addresses the former gap: it formalizes the existing, long-standing arrangement rather than opening Suriname’s waters to 200 entirely new foreign fishermen, a narrative that has sparked unnecessary public controversy, according to Karg.
He acknowledged that the Surinamese government contributed to public confusion by failing to communicate the details of the deal clearly and accurately, leading many observers to incorrectly assume the agreement represented a sudden, new opening of Suriname’s fisheries to Venezuelan workers. Against this backdrop, Karg said calls for establishing a separate catch quota specifically for the 200 Venezuelan fishermen are misinformed, as the quota system already applies to the Surinamese companies that employ these crews, making an additional separate quota unnecessary and misaligned with how the arrangement actually operates.
Karg’s explanation aligns with official clarification already released by Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, which has also pushed back against the misinterpretation that the deal adds 200 new Venezuelan fishermen to Suriname’s fishery. For all parties, the agreement is ultimately just a long-overdue correction of a regulatory oversight that should have been resolved by both governments nearly 20 years ago.
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Rode Kruis waarschuwt: barrières tot zorg maken EHBO-kennis extra belangrijk
On the approach of World First Aid Day 2026, the Surinamese Red Cross has issued a public call to communities across the country: expand collective first aid knowledge, and actively share that life-saving expertise with others. This year’s global observance of the day centers on the inclusive theme “First aid for everyone, everywhere, at every time”, a framework the organization leverages to emphasize a core principle: high-quality first aid information and training must be accessible, understandable, and safe for all members of society.
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BRICS roept op tot kalmte in Midden-Oosten en benadrukt belang van wereldwijde handel
Against a backdrop of soaring global geopolitical tension driven by overlapping conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the 2026 BRICS Summit convened in New Delhi this weekend, bringing together leaders of the 11-member bloc of major emerging economies to address shared global challenges and chart a new course for collective influence in the international order.
Hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit launched on Saturday and wrapped up on Sunday, marking the handover of the BRICS rotating gavel to India. High-profile attendees included Chinese President Xi Jinping, making his first visit to India in seven years, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Other participating leaders included South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The United Arab Emirates sent its Abu Dhabi Crown Prince as representative, while founding member Brazil was represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Senior leaders from key global institutions, including World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres also joined the gathering.
In a landmark joint declaration adopted by all member states, BRICS leaders first prioritized the escalating crisis in the Middle East, expressing deep alarm over the ongoing spiral of tensions and calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. The statement specifically warned against intentional strikes on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities, and reaffirmed the bloc’s longstanding position on the Palestinian issue. Members issued a firm rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinian people and any attempt to alter the geographic or demographic status of occupied Palestinian territories. The declaration also called for an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza, voiced full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and backed full UN membership status for an independent Palestinian state.
Beyond regional conflict, the joint declaration outlined a broader agenda focused on strengthening global economic resilience, expanding cooperation among non-Western economies, and countering what members frame as unfair Western-dominated global governance structures. Key priorities included expanding cross-border alternative payment systems to reduce reliance on Western-dominated financial infrastructure, deepening collaborative research and governance frameworks for artificial intelligence, and unified opposition to unilateral sanctions and protectionist trade tariffs that disrupt global commerce.
In his remarks following his arrival in New Delhi on Saturday morning, President Xi emphasized that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East runs counter to the core interests of the entire global community, noting the catastrophic human and economic losses the crisis has already inflicted across regions. A day before the summit officially opened, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with President Putin, where the two leaders agreed to deepen bilateral strategic and economic ties, and later met with Iranian President Pezeshkian to discuss critical issues of maritime navigation freedom and the safety of commercial shipping crews. During a closed-door plenary session, Egyptian President el-Sisi echoed these concerns, stressing that regional instability and disruptions to navigation in the Middle East have already caused severe spillover damage to the global economy, international trade flows, and global energy supplies.
Founded in 2009 as a cooperative forum for emerging economies seeking greater representation in global institutions long dominated by Western powers, BRICS has expanded significantly in recent years to 11 current members, growing its footprint as a leading voice for the Global South. However, the 2026 summit also laid bare the significant internal divisions that challenge the bloc’s unified action. Longstanding regional tensions between members Iran and the United Arab Emirates, who stand on opposite sides of ongoing confrontations between Iran, Israel and the United States, have created rifts over how to frame the Middle East conflict. A recent meeting of BRICS foreign ministers failed to produce a unified statement on the crisis, despite the bloc’s unified condemnation of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran last year. Beyond regional splits, BRICS also faces external pressure: successive U.S. administrations have imposed sweeping tariff measures on multiple BRICS members and labeled the bloc an anti-American actor, while the bloc’s finance ministers have pushed back against these measures, arguing they violate core WTO trade rules.
As chair, India has navigated these competing interests to push for a unified declaration, while working to strengthen the bloc’s collective influence on the global stage. Against the persistent backdrop of Middle East conflict, BRICS faces growing urgency to mitigate global economic damage and secure critical commercial shipping lanes, all while advancing its long-term goal of building alternative trade and financial systems to counter Western dominance. Despite internal challenges that make unity an ongoing struggle, the 2026 New Delhi summit has made clear the bloc’s enduring ambition to emerge as a stronger, more influential voice for the Global South in an increasingly fractured global order.
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Climbing Creek – de stille ramp (slot)
There are some places that leave an indelible mark on anyone who visits them. Climbing Creek, a sprawling swamp in Nickerie, Suriname, is one of those special yet threatened sites. Slowly poisoned by encroaching saltwater, this once-thriving ecosystem faces collapse not from natural forces, but from an unplanned man-made canal dug years ago with no oversight. I joined a small team of military personnel on a 20-day expedition into the swamp to document the quiet work of repairing the damage others left behind. This story is not a pretty one, but it is one that demands to be told.
From the team’s base camp, the scale of ecological destruction is immediately visible. Large swathes of the swamp have dried out completely, leaving only parched earth and dying vegetation. Only small pockets flood during high tide, drawing flocks of desperate birds searching for remaining fish, shrimp and crabs to survive. Every day, the team wades into mud that reaches above their knees to plant young native mangrove saplings along the creek’s eroding banks, carefully placing each seedling just above the water line where it has the best chance of taking root. They pull each other out of deep sticky mud when they get stuck, but no amount of discomfort stops them from completing their daily work.
As more trees and native vegetation succumb to salt poisoning, the team presses on. While laughter echoes from the canal as team members cool off between shifts, their camp cook prepares a simple lunch of spiced chicken, rice and smoked fish that I was invited to share. What these few men accomplish here is almost impossible to put into words. If the saplings survive, the site will slowly regenerate into a dense mangrove forest over one to three years. These mangroves will hold freshwater in the swamp, allow silt to build up, and eventually choke and close the unauthorized canal entirely. Ecologists have already seen this successful restoration model work on similar projects along the Nickerie coast.
The bitter irony of this story is hard to miss: one individual’s unregulated decision to dig a casual canal triggered an entire regional ecological disaster, and no authority has ever been held accountable. It falls to this tiny, under-resourced team to prove that repair is possible, working tirelessly for a greater public good with no fanfare and no recognition. Few people will ever see the sacrifices they make or the hardships they endure here, so their story has remained untold — until now.
As the midday heat grows unbearable, the men rest in hammocks strung above dead vegetation, seeking what little relief they can find. When the sun dips lower, they inspect their boat engines, only to discover that two of the three are broken: one has a damaged propeller, and the other has an internal mechanical failure. They make the call to send both broken engines back with me for repair, along with 12 empty water containers and drained fuel tanks to be refilled on the outside.
Night falls fast, and the high tide needed to navigate the narrow creek will not turn until around 9 p.m. The team builds a campfire, which immediately draws swarms of venomous horseflies and large black mosquitoes. They place mosquito-repelling candles all around our resting spot on the canal bank. As we wait for the tide, the men share stories of their work, the daily challenges they face, and how much they long to return home to their young families. They have already spent 18 days in the swamp, with just two more left to plant the remaining saplings, and they are determined to hit their planting target before they leave. They plan to launch at 7 a.m. the next day for their final push: the cook will stay behind at base camp, while the rest head three to five kilometers further up the coast to plant the last of the saplings.
When the tide finally comes in, the team rushes to free the stuck boat from the muddy bank and load it for our departure. By the light of the campfire and a single lantern, the world around us is pitch black, save for a brilliant unobscured view of the starry night sky. Before we board, we wrap every inch of exposed skin, leaving only our eyes visible to ward off insect bites. We each get a fresh mosquito candle to hold, and the boat pulls out into the dark canal. The 25-horsepower engine is far more power than the narrow waterway needs, so the captain navigates slowly, weaving carefully through shallow stretches. Within minutes, hundreds of gnats, mosquitoes and other unknown insects swarm around the candle flame. Glittering eyes reflect the captain’s headlamp along both banks: crocodiles drawn to the fish that congregate in the canal. No one feels fear, only quiet awe for the wild natural world unfolding around us under the moonless starry sky. Fish jump around the boat, and we repeatedly toss a small juvenile sea turtle that accidentally landed on board back into the water.
Meter by meter, the boat pushes through the narrow canal. The passengers’ only goal is to avoid getting bitten, but there is still a quiet thrill to this adventurous night journey. We quickly lose count of how many crocodiles we spot: some show only their heads peeking above the water, while others rest on the bank, their glossy brown-black skin glinting in the headlamp’s glow. We are so focused on the landscape around us that we fall quiet, letting the rumble of the engine mix with the calls of night birds, the splash of jumping fish, the rustle of reeds and the soft rush of water.
By the time we reach the dam, the tide is already receding, putting pressure on the two men who will have to make the return trip to camp after dropping us off. Our first mosquito candle has burned down, so we get a fresh one. Two hours later, as we approach the dam, the three men with us jump back into the mud to push and pull the heavily loaded boat meter by meter over the dam. Fish dart through the shallow mud around their feet, grateful for any bit of remaining water, visible only in the beam of the captain’s headlamp — the only light we use to avoid disturbing wildlife.
With the last of their strength, they pull the boat over the dam and launch it into the irrigation channel that will take us to the main road. Once in the wider channel, the captain opens the engine, and the boat speeds across the warm water. A fish the size of a hand leaps right into the boat, and I toss it back to safety. Black silhouettes of dead trees line the banks — a stark reminder of the damage that has been done, but under the starry sky, there is a quiet, heartbreaking beauty to the scene rather than menace. We reach the dock just minutes before midnight, and unload the boat quickly so the two men can head back to camp while the tide still holds. Even without the heavy load, pulling the boat back over the dam through the mud to reach deep enough water for the engine remains a brutal, backbreaking job.
We wave goodbye, and soon only the rumble of the engine and a faint beam of headlight are visible before the dark swallows everything. We climb into a waiting vehicle for the drive to Nieuw Nickerie. The drive is once again through complete darkness: large stretches of the main east-west highway have no streetlights at all, a fact that leaves me wondering why basic infrastructure has never been extended to this remote region. By the time we reach town, fatigue from the day’s heat and work has set in deep. It is 3 a.m. when I step into a hot shower to wash off the swamp mud, and climb into bed, the images of the day still burned clear into my memory.
Back in Nieuw Nickerie, the shower washed away the mud, but it cannot wash away the images I carry with me: the dying fish gasping in dry mud, the soldier singing while he worked chest-deep in mud, the 12,000 young mangrove saplings waiting for the freshwater they need to survive.
No one can say for sure if this restoration project will succeed. It depends on tides, on weather, on continued commitment from people who believe in the work. But one thing I know for certain: these men are showing up, every single day, with no audience, no praise, and no reward. The destructive canal still sits there, and no one in power has ever answered for the damage it caused.
If you ever find yourself near Climbing Creek, take a moment to think of these men. Think of what they do there, working under the burning sun, knee-deep in mud, for a forest that will not even grow for another three years. And think of what this place could have been, if one person had never had that unregulated, destructive idea in the first place.