[www.inewsguyana.com] – The World Wildlife Fund Guianas (WWF) commended the Government of Guyana on its G$2B allocation to the National Protected Areas Trust Fund.
The WWD in a media release stated that this “significant contribution more than doubles the existing fund that comprised US$5.3 million committed by the Government of Germany and US$3.5 million from the Conservation International’s Global Conservation Fund.”
It also signals the government’s recognition of the importance of the environment to the nation’s well-being and its intent to give this sector priority, said the WWF.
iNews understands that the Trust Fund will support the Protected Areas of Kaieteur, the Kanuku Mountains, and Shell Beach as well as some of the urban park areas. These collectively cover some five percent of the national territory. Plans are also well advanced to include the Wai-Wai community conservation concession into the National Protected Area System.
The completion of this process will add another three percent, bringing the total area under protection to approximately eight percent. Guyana is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which commits the nation to designating 17% of its territory as a Protected Area and funds accruing for the Trust Fund can help meet this target.
Further while addressing the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the NPATF on Monday last, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud stated “We in Guyana have been very firm and committed in terms of playing our part and contributing in terms of mitigating… within the broader context and the broader commitment of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).”
Minister Persaud said Guyana has recently made significant strides in establishing a national protected areas system, and this endowment will further support efforts to conserve the natural heritage.
