Guyana has an estimated 18.4 million ha of forests, accounting for about 85% of the country’s total land area. Much of these forests make up part of South America’s Guiana Shield, one of the largest remaining blocks of primary tropical forest on earth, containing the highest percentage of primary forest cover (over 90% is intact tropical forest) of any major tropical forested area. It is therefore critical for Guyana to choose a development pathway rooted in sustainable land use, including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).