…another initiative establishing Guyana as a key player in the climate change fight
President Bharrat Jagdeo, early in April, made two significant commitments to the education sector; one was the launch of the new Education Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) and the other was a commitment of some US$11M for an International Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity at the University of Guyana (UG). Spearheaded by the Head of State, Guyana’s initiatives to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change continue to receive validation from stakeholders the world over – the most recent being that of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which found that renewable energy, more particularly hydropower, will be key in tackling global warming.

That said, the investment into a focused Centre for Biodiversity has been lauded by the education sector, environmental and even business sector stakeholders – especially in light of the worsening realities of the climate change phenomenon.

WORSENING REALITIES
The accepted fact is that Guyana is 0.5 to 1.0 metres below mean sea level and an estimated 90 per cent of Guyanese live on the vulnerable coastal areas.
The evidence is that the sea level rise in Guyana from 1955 to 2005 was 55cm, substantially more than the global figure, and it is expected that a 4.2 degree rise on global temperature during the first half of the century will raise sea levels by 15 to 30 cm by 2040. Some estimates give a higher figure for the Caribbean region.
The IPCC in 2009 gave an estimate that global sea levels are expected to rise by at least one metre by 2100.
However, according to a recent report published by the Associated Press (AP), quickening climate change in the Arctic, including a thaw of Greenland’s ice, could raise world sea levels by up to 1.6 meters by 2100
AP quoted the Oslo-based Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) as reporting that, “In the future, global sea level is projected to rise by 0.9 meters (2ft 11in) to 1.6 meters (5ft 3in) by 2100, and the loss of ice from Arctic glaciers, ice caps and the Greenland ice sheet will make a substantial contribution.”
The IPCC had said in its last major report in 2007 that world sea levels were likely to rise by between 18 and 59 cm by 2100, but those numbers did not include a possible acceleration of a thaw in Polar regions.
The AMAP study, drawing on work by hundreds of experts, said there were signs that warming was accelerating. It said the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice free in summers within 30 to 40 years, earlier than projected by the IPCC

NEW PLATFORM
In an invited comment , UG’s Registrar, Mr. Vincent Alexander, stated that with its different initiatives, Guyana has exploited the resources it has for growth and development of the country, as well as advance creative relationships with the rest of the world.
“We have been advised of the intent to invest in an International Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and we welcome that move,” Alexander said.
He contends that the Centre for Biodiversity will be another platform to advance the work Guyana has started in the climate change fight.
The Registrar added that the Centre will give Guyana the opportunity to play the role in the area of biodiversity that it has the potential to play.
Stakeholders agree that it is now widely recognized that climate change and biodiversity are interconnected. Biodiversity is affected by climate change, with negative consequences for human well-being; but biodiversity, through the ecosystem services it supports, also makes an important contribution to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Consequently, conserving and sustainably managing biodiversity is critical to addressing climate change.
Alexander pointed to the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) and stated that the mangroves are significant contributors to the mitigation of climate change’s impacts.
The overall objective of the project is to abate climate change (carbon sequestration through reforestation and forest preservation) and to mitigate its effects (sea defence, biodiversity).
Mangroves are essentially forests that are found on the seacoast and riverside that can grow in areas of high salinity and tidal flooding. Apart from sea defences and a role in the climate change fight, their importance extends to other areas. Mangroves serve to shield inland areas during storms; trap sediments and break down pollutants; serve as a source of food for fish, shrimp and crabs that live in rivers and shallow areas of the sea/ ocean; provide homes and nurseries for many animals, primarily fishes; and provide a safe haven for juvenile fish, shrimp and crab located on Guyana’s coastline.

The University’s Registrar stressed that given Guyana’s peculiar situation, its flora and fauna resources, the country is well positioned to advance more focused biodiversity studies.
As a developing country, Guyana continues to made strides in all sectors and, with the pioneering of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), is able to advance that development with focus on specialty areas.
Alexander told the Guyana Chronicle that through the World Bank, UG has been able to access some US$10M which has been used to develop the University’s infrastructure and curriculum, and acquire equipment to enhance the delivery of the curriculum that is relative to the LCDS.
He noted that the investment in a Centre for Biodiversity would complement the current moves being made, and advance a more focused programme for Guyanese youth, who will carry on the climate change fight.