-says his country will adopt Guyana’s sustainable development model
AS Guyana continues to gain prominence in the international arena with its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and policies regarding forest conservation and sustainable development, there are many countries which are seeking to adopt the same model. The Democratic Republic of Congo is one such country. It has lauded the efforts of Guyana and is encouraged by its developments.
The Congolese Minister of Forestry and Sustainable Development, Mr. Henri Djombo, Tuesday, met with officials of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to discuss ways in which they can cooperate, particularly in the area of forestry.
The minister and team were on a three-day fact finding mission to Guyana in July 2010, and through the assistance of the GFC, were exposed to perspectives on the country’s forestry resources.
There are two main projects of the GFC — the chainsaw milling project and the forestry training centre — in which the Democratic Republic of Congo is interested. According to the Executive Director of the Forest Products Development and Marketing Council of Guyana (FPDMC), Mr. Dereck Cummings, this new cooperation between Guyana and the African country will pave the way for Guyana’s entry into the Central African Council and for goods and services to enter  those markets.
The Congolese Minister said that he was very impressed and encouraged by the forestry-related initiatives of the Government of Guyana. Mr. Djombo said the local chainsaw project can provide an alternative to poverty and access to market, and it is the kind of initiative that should be encouraged in his country.
In Congo, the use of chainsaw to convert logs to lumber for the domestic market and poor segments of the population has never been explored, and this is the primary reason why wood and wood products are very expensive in Congo. According to the coordinator of the chainsaw milling project, Rohini Kerret, Guyana is building a capacity for the sustainable management of the forest that is in line with the LCDS so that it will have more value for its forest. The main focus of the chainsaw project is to reduce poverty and promote livelihoods in forest-dependent communities, and to also promote conservation.
Guyana promotes a green way of thinking and, as a country, environment protection by reducing forest degradation. Thus communities are encouraged to change the way they operate not just by adding value to timber, but also through maximizing the value of  trees by getting the most of the timber, using different technologies and techniques of cutting, a process called down-streaming. (GINA)