[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment is partnering with the South Florida National Parks Trust to strengthen the functioning of the Protected Areas Commission, and the National Protected Areas Trust Fund.
The South Florida National Parks Trust has supported National Parks in South Florida since 2002, and has significant experience in environmental education, resource protection, visitor services, volunteer activities and community outreach.
This partnership was brokered in a meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, and Mr. Wayne Rassner, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees & Chairman of the Grants Committee for the South Florida National Parks Trust.
At the meeting, which was held in the United States on Friday, December 20, Minister Persaud pointed out that “Guyana is currently revising its framework polices for natural resources development, and the establishment of a national system of protected areas in Guyana is timely to enhance environmental management.
Further, the South Florida National Parks Trust has expressed an interest to support and enhance Guyana’s capacity to support national systems for protected areas in Guyana.
Guyana is recognized for its high levels of biodiversity of which the protected areas system also forms a core component of the Low Carbon Development Strategy aimed at transitioning the nation’s economy onto a low carbon and climate resilient pathway, said the Natural Resources and the Environment Minister.
Additionally, it was outlined by Minister Persaud that the Protected Areas Commission will require significant technical and management capacity to develop strategic and management plans and to strengthen the Commission’s field programme.
As such, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment sought the expertise of the US Parks Services and its partners to collaborate with Guyana as the country accelerates the development of a world class protected areas system.
