EU funded land use project progressing satisfactorily
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) funded technical assistance project, which aims at enhancing the capacity of the Guyana Lands & Surveys Commission (GL&SC) for regional land use planning, mapping and database management, is near its halfway  mark and  progressing satisfactorily.
This disclosure was made recently by the GL&SC Commissioner, Mr. Doorga Persaud, who said the work, costing three million euros, began in 2011 and would be finished in 2013.
He said land use policy and planning are  strategic priorities of the GL&SC.
“Through land use policy and planning, we provide government with land policy recommendations and draft land use plans in order to guide the orderly and efficient utilisation of public resources,” Persaud said.
He said one of the deliverables of the current undertaking is one national land use plan and three regional ones.
Other reliable sources revealed that the overall objective of the work being done by foreign consultants is to support the Government of Guyana  in achieving sustainable, equitable and pro-poor regional development through spatial planning and land management, eventually leading to poverty reduction.
The consultants are consequently providing technical assistance towards building the capacity of the government to undertake integrated regional spatial planning procedures and better manage its mapping, cadastral and land administration database system.
Support to the GL&SC is focusing on training; updating and improving the mapping and geographic information systems’ functions within the Commission; establishing a digital cadastral database and continuously developing and streamlining of cadastral and land administration database management system.
Emphasis is also on improvement of the methodologies and procedures now in use and strengthening the resources of the GL&SC, especially for mapping.
Persaud said that significant progress is being made by the GL&SC in the various areas in which training and technical assistance is being received under the EU Technical Assistance Development of Land Use Planning Project.
He explained that Guyana has benefitted, as well, from a sustainable land management project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
“We have had quite a lot of major studies and some training done and the project is coming to an end with a few more outputs and deliverables remaining,” Persaud reported.