THE establishment of Guyana Protected Areas System Commission (GPASC) will be part of the programme of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and a commissioner is to be appointed shortly. Minister Robert Persaud said the position is soon to be advertised, inviting applicants for the post.
This development follows the passage of the Protected Areas Bill in Parliament and the recent finalisation of a five million euros agreement between the Governments of Guyana and Germany, to assist with the development of the GPAS.
Mr. Persaud said the ministry is tasked with effective governance of the environment and the GPAS will be one of its main agencies in this regard.
“Our task will always be to promote, in any given form, an ecologically sustainable, growing economy, because, if we look at what is happening regionally and internationally, every aspect of increased economic growth and development must consider the environment and whether it has to do with the positive or negative effects,” he explained.
The Protected Areas Bill was passed in July 2011 and provides for the establishing of a Protected Areas Commission which will be responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act.
Provisions have been made for local administrative bodies in the declared areas to be responsible for administering and executing the management plans for each area.
The areas which have been declared protected are the community-owned conservation locations at Konashen/Masakineri, Deep South Rupununi; the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation; the Kaieteur National Park  and, more recently, the Shell Beach in Region One (Barima/Waini) and the Kanuku Mountains in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).
The recent five million euros grant will facilitate the activation of the Commission and help the members ensure that the areas given protected status are managed in keeping with national and international obligations.