Region Five residents also participate
Hundreds of residents of Regions Five and Six turned out to be part of the important sub-national consultation at the Chandisingh Secondary School, Port Mourant, last Friday 10 to ensure their opinions and concerns were made known on Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, addresses residents at the Region Six Consultation.

The strategy is based on promoting better economic development while maintaining environmental health through the sustainable use and protection of Guyana’s greatest asset, its tropical forests which account for about 80 percent of the country.

The consultation is testimony to the fact that Government has always been committed to the democratic process whereby citizens are given the opportunity to participate in matters that would ultimately affect them.

Several persons praised the Government for initiating the strategy while seeking clarification in some areas. President Bharrat Jagdeo, the architect of the LCDS, came in for high commendation.

Colin Lucky, Councillor, pledged the Orealla/ Siparuta village council’s support for the Strategy. He said that discussions will be held with members of the community on various aspects of the strategy.

Regions Five and Six residents at the consultation at the Chandisingh Secondary School.

We need our trees so that we can get a livelihood and we can get benefits from the forest. We have already discussed and decided that we should get benefits from our forest. So I believe that we will strongly support the LCDS; we are here to work together with the Government so that our country could be developed,” he said.

Clement Edward said that the move by the Government has made him proud. “If a small developing country like Guyana can facilitate the process of restoring the forest, we ought to be proud. I take my hat off to the President of this great land for initiating this development strategy for Guyana.”

The team of officials spearheading the consultation included Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud; Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai; Representative of the Climate Change Unit, Office of the President, Andrew Bishop; Executive members of the LCDS steering committee; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs Nigel Dharamlall; and Regional Chairmen of Region Five and Six, Harrinarine Baldeo, and Zulfikar Mustapha.

Minister Persaud explained that the world is experiencing tragedies caused by climate change and that there will be a large number of climate refugees being displaced. It has been predicted that a one-meter rise in sea level can lead to catastrophe for millions of people.

He stated that Guyanese are living examples of a country that has not contributed to the devastating effects of climate change, but the country has been a victim, and that in the framework set out by the LCDS; it puts forth addressing that as well as mitigation measures.

It was emphasised that Guyana’s vulnerability is as high as the level of other countries; and that instead of being reactive, Guyanese should aim to be proactive. And with the LCDS, forests can be managed in a sustainable way and there can be engagement in some of the best practices, providing the planet with ecological services.

Minister Persaud further explained that 20% of green house gas emissions results from deforestation, and the LCDS can help in its avoidance and garner incentives for this. Although financial studies have shown that if Guyana cuts down its forests, it can earn around US$580M per annum, it is much better for the country’s survival if the forests remain intact.

Minister Persaud stated that LCDS is not about “locking our forests away”, but marketing a service that they offer, while simultaneously making use of its resources in a sustainable manner.

The Agriculture Minister continued to elaborate on the importance of the LCDS in the aspect of revenue that Guyana will benefit from, explaining that the money allocated for every region under the drainage and irrigation category is limited, and with the money, Guyana will benefit from the LCDS, and much more can be done to target these areas.

Minister Sukhai stated that the LCDS offers Guyanese an exercise in education and information sharing and gathering through a series of consultations.

She said that 13.9% of land in Guyana is owned by the Amerindians and that the Government is giving them the opportunity to support the LCDS.

It provides for persons who wish to ‘opt in’ to have continued discussions and negotiations with Government on the necessary contractual agreement which will be signed.

According to Minister Sukhai, there is no deadline or time constraint for Amerindian communities to ‘opt in’ to the strategy, since it is expected that they will carefully examine it so that they can be well informed before they decide whether they want to do so.

The strategy allows for the continuation of traditional activities of indigenous peoples, provided those activities are subsistence-based and are consistent with the obligations under the strategy, though some adjustments might have to be made in order to live in a low carbon environment.

The LCDS was officially launched on June 8, and sub national consultations commenced on June 22 in Region Nine. Since then consultations were held in Regions One, Two and Ten, attracting huge turn outs. Meetings were last weekend for Regions Seven and Eight. (GINA)