His Majesty King Charles III commended Guyana for preserving a significant portion of its forest cover, emphasising the need for countries to recognise the economic and environmental value of nature while balancing development with conservation.
“You’ve managed to keep an enormous percentage of your forests. That is an incredible achievement and, of course, deserves to be rewarded,” the King stated.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum on Friday, the King described Guyana’s forests as a “wonderful example” of natural heritage.
He noted that the country’s achievement in maintaining its extensive forest cover deserves recognition.
The monarch, who returned to Guyana after 26 years, recalled his involvement in the early development of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy through his Rainforest Project and the International Sustainability Unit, which helped bring together key partners to demonstrate how forests could be conserved while supporting development.
He expressed hope that Guyana’s approach could be replicated in other parts of the world to address the growing threats to nature and biodiversity, including through agroforestry and mixed approaches to land management.
King Charles stressed that nature’s value extends beyond its economic contribution, describing it as “totally priceless,” while warning that continued deforestation and biodiversity loss threaten human health and future generations.
“People forget it’s not just nature out there; we are part of that. And what we’re doing at the moment, I think, in endlessly going on with deforestation and everything else, is totally prejudicing our future and other people’s futures and our health,” he said.
He further noted that the destruction of biodiversity contributes to worsening health challenges, underscoring the importance of protecting ecosystems as part of safeguarding human wellbeing.
The King also congratulated President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on establishing the Global Biodiversity Alliance, expressing admiration for Guyana’s conservation efforts and anticipation for how the country continues to balance economic development, nature regeneration and environmental protection. [DPI]
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