It surrounds Kaieteur Falls, which is the jewel of this country’s natural resources, with its sheer drop of 741 feet and a total 822 feet height that makes it the world’s highest single-drop waterfall with a flow rate of 30 million gallons per minute.

The KNP is located in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), 120-odd miles from Georgetown in the centre of what is known as ‘The Guiana Highlands’ or ‘Guiana Shield’, one of the oldest rock formations in existence for about two billion years dating back to the Precambrian Age.

It spawns an area of 627 square kilometres (242 square miles) and has the distinction of being home to a host of rare and endangered species, including the rarely seen ‘Cock-of-the-Rock’ bird and the brightly-hued ‘Golden Frog’ which spends almost all its life inside the giant ‘Tank Bromeliad.’

The public unveiling was hosted by the National Parks Commission (NPC) and the KNP Board, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) at Hotel Tower, on Main Street, Georgetown.

The NPC, the implementing agency for the KNP Board, through funding from WWF for Nature (WWF Guianas), is developing the strategy that is envisioned to implement, over the next eight years, the conservation and management of KNP and its wider ecosystem, including strengthening linkages to local community development.

The NPC has contracted the services of Dr. Graham Watkins to function as the Protected Area Specialist and lead the execution.

He is the former Director General of Iwokrama Rainforest Conservation centre in Guyana and former Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galapagos.

His team has representatives of NPC, KNP Board, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WWF and Chenapau village.

At the Thursday forum, stakeholders and all the partners were presented with the opportunity to comment on the proposed scheme.

NPC General Manager, Ms. Yolanda Vasconcellos said it is geared towards the overall future direction of the KNP.

ISSUES
She said, for years, they have been trying to secure financial support for the venture but, due to a number of issues, did not succeed.

However, Vasconcellos said discussions with WWF began in 2006 and the result is now evident for the development and initial implementation.

She said, for parks and protected areas, such an undertaking is, essentially, the framework that directs how they are run.

Vasconcellos admitted that the KNP lacks one that takes into consideration all of the various resource uses at the location, including tourism, biodiversity, research, infrastructure, established zones for certain activities and guidelines for how those activities should be developed.

She assured that this blueprint will be aided by public consultation, making it the primary public accountability document for the park.

Vasconcellos insisted that it should be strategic and long-term, guiding the total direction and vision for the future.

“A primary goal should be to ensure that there is, clearly, direction for the maintenance of ecological integrity and, in the light of this, for guiding use while allowing appropriate levels of development and continued access for visitors.

“It should, therefore, reflect the many initiatives and changes that have taken place over the years,” she stated.

Vasconcellos said: “In a nutshell, we as the NPC, would like a plan which recognises and puts into a framework the potential for tourism development and to realise this, ensuring the biodiversity, landscape and conservation values of the area are protected and maintained.”

She said it should be a document that will set the criteria for assuring long term sustainability of both conservation and development.

It should guide policy and management decisions for the park; provide more ecological and management information on it; strengthen local community involvement and NPC management capabilities; create greater awareness and understanding of the KNP and facilitate the development of sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities within and surroundings, Vasconcellor outlined.

She told the gathering those thoughts, coupled with their input during the various consultation phases of the project that will form the foundation of the plan.

EVIDENCE
Vasconcellos encouraged those gathered to be involved in the process of making sure they have left unmistakable evidence of a well crafted direction for the future of the KNP.

Watkins, in his contribution, noting the importance of the KNP to Guyana and its people, said it is particularly essential for the local communities and the tourism sector.

“Generally, it is a focal point for Guyana, certainly in terms of natural resources,” he said.

Acknowledging the challenges and constraints, Watkins observed that there have been historical conflicts about the management of the park.

He said there are a number of issues to be addressed.

“In essence, we need to improve the management of Kaieteur.”

Watkins agreed that the objective is geared towards addressing the issues and developing the management plan will be a process.

“There have been quite a few past plans done. Unfortunately, very little of what was originally planned or has been planned have actually been implemented, he reminded.

Watkins concurred that a management plan needs to be put in place and he warned:“If we do not do that, then we will end up with very reactive management.”

He said, if the plan is to be effective, it needs to be backed by all the stakeholders, including the local communities, the tourism sector and Government.

Watkins was in agreement that the first step towards crafting the plan is public consultations but said:“We have not written anything of the plan yet. There is nothing written. What we want to do is pick up the ideas before we start actually writing anything.”

He said there needs to be shared vision for it to be successful and, over the next 11 months, there will be participatory research and gathering of information from the various stakeholders.

“It has to be the vision of the people of Guyana,” Watkins emphasised and underscored that it also needs to be integrated with various aspects.

“We also need to identify what has been one of the biggest problems which is resources. If there is no money to implement the plan, again we are wasting our time and this is one of the reasons why this plan actually includes a business planning component,” he said.

COMMUNICATION
Watkins said it is intended to be clear and easy to read and, for effective communication, some parts of the draft may be translated into the Patamona language for the local communities to understand it.

He said it should also reflect agreements.

Watkins said, in some cases, the plan is a legal document and, therefore, it is a binding agreement, between the stakeholders or among the stakeholders, about what we are going to do in Kaieteur.”

“In that sense, it is also a document for accountability.

“It also needs to put in real measurable objective milestones and where the resources are going to come from to actually achieve those. We need to get the proposals written, so we can actually get financing in and make that financing sustainable over the long term,” he posited.

Watkins said the fundamental principle of this process will be, basically, consulting and writing the plan which will again be consulted with the public and then rewritten.

“There needs to be follow-ups to this plan. Luckily, within the WWF project, there is an actual fund to begin implementing the plan which is a very good start,” he reasoned.

Repeating that the plan is also about change, Watkins said: “It needs be absolutely clear who is responsible for Kaieteur; what responsibility they have and who, therefore, is accountable to the people of Guyana for the management of Kaieteur.”

He said it should realise the potential of Kaieteur and really requires the commitment and support of all stakeholders to actually make it work.

Watkins announced that a website will be established shortly for the public to access information and give feedbacks on the process.

A special presentation ‘Celebration of Kaieteur’ was done by Nature Photographer, Mr. Bobby Fernandes.