The goal of creating biodiversity protected areas for each administrative region is achievable within the next three years, President David Granger said.
He made this assertion on his weekly televised programme the “Public Interest”, stating that given Guyana’s geographical and biological diverse position, each region should have protected areas.
President Granger indicated that government has identified that there are endangered species in all ten regions, and so finds it imperative to protect them.
The Head of State added that Guyana has some of the most attractive wildlife in the world and because of this ecotourism will become one of the economic booms of the country’s future.
Thus, he posited that the goal should be achievable within the next three years.
Recently, Guyana was charged with the responsibility to press Brazil for the Amazon Fund to be expended for Guiana Shield biodiversity scientific research when President David Granger declared the Fourth International Congress on Biodiversity of Guiana Shield open.
The IV International Congress on Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield is a forum organised by several local partners that sees the participation of scientists, policy makers, Private Sector entities and other stakeholders from across the Region and beyond.
President Granger had suggested that since the world was under threat from human activities that decimate the environment and cause global warming, the Shield’s existence was important. He stated that it was the organisation’s duty to protect and preserve the ecosystem. Currently, the Guiana Shield comprises six nations which have dedicated their forests to conservation.
Granger proposed that it was crucial for the Shield to receive funding to carry out its mandate. He also suggested the establishment of a permanent institution aimed at protecting, conserving and sustaining the Guiana Shield biodiversity.
He said such an institution should be a functioning scientific research institute and be a secretariat to coordinate efforts and combine the works of the Shield. He also touted that there should be a comprehensive biodiversity policy developed to assist with information sharing.
Speaking on the Public Interest, Granger stated that there are many parts of Guyana’s environment that has been damaged because of logging and mining and so it is necessary to understand the importance of the protection of the environment.
He said further that the loggers and miners should become more prudent about the effects that their trade has on the environment, calling on them to conduct their works in a more responsible manner.
United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative Khadija Musa had stated that there is no doubt that the Guiana Shield is worth protecting, and added that it was critical for the respective governments to tap into the resources that the Fund possess.
The main purpose of the Amazon Fund is to provide support for projects to stop, observe and combat deforestation, as well as for the conservation and sustainable use of forests in the Amazon.
