About the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Environmental Studies Unit (ESU) was established in 1993 for the purpose of promoting teaching and research and providing guidance to decision-makers and national agencies in the areas of natural resources management and environmental conservation. The ESU continued until 2005 when the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences (SEES) was established through a merger of the ESU and the Department of Geography (DoG). With the merger of the ESU and the DoG, both degree programmes in Environmental Studies and Geography were offered under one umbrella body but retaining their separate identities. This merger expanded the areas of focus to include teaching and research in geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing; the two being perceived as newly emerging and pivotal academic fields in Guyana.

The School attained the status of Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES) on October 1, 2016 in recognition of the growing need to produce earth and environmental scientists with the requisite skills and knowledge to understand and appreciate the complexities of natural and human systems and their interactions, and the importance of applying sustainability principles to decision-making processes that are informed by high-quality research. The Faculty’s overall goal is to provide quality tertiary education in the Earth and Environmental Sciences and to conduct interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary research and extension services (to those who are not enrolled in the regular programmes) in areas such as environmental management, sustainable land use planning, natural resources management, housing and settlement development, and earth surface dynamics.