Like Guyana, Suriname has a success story to tell about an environmental initiative that has attracted the attention of international donors and investors and, yesterday one of the country’s officials shared the perspective with President Donald Ramotar.
Views and ideas in this regard were exchanged when Chairman of the Suriname Conservation Foundation Wim Udenhout and his Guyanese counterpart David Singh, Director of Conservation International Guyana, met the Guyanese Head of State in the company of Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud and Head of the Climate Unit at the Office of the President Shyam Nokta.
For over 12 years the Suriname Conservation Trust Fund has been in existence and, according to Udenhout has set a benchmark.
He told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that, “that fact that we have so much beautiful rainforest while the world is losing its rainforest…means that countries like Guyana and Suriname that still have the pristine rainforest will attract attention,” Udenhout said.
Guyana’s revolutionary Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), considered among the largest forest carbon services arrangement with the country’s 16 million hectares of rainforest at the centre has earned the country US$70M through partnership with the Government of Norway.
The Guyana Government has outlined a plan over a two- year period to utilise the fund to implement a number of projects that will dramatically accelerate growth and development domestically.
These include the harnessing of hydropower, expanding the digital infrastructure, and establishing world class research and educational facilities.
Along with its value of saving the planet from the ravages of climate change, Udenhout described it as “investment in a business sense” and the willingness of countries to use the brand name of the country to invest.
“Consumers relate to that (and) shareholders will be happy to see their money spent in a clean environment… that is what it’s all about,” Udenhout said.
The diplomat was among those who witnessed the launch of the Guiana Shield Facility (GSF) yesterday, which was ratified by Colombia; Brazil; Guyana and Suriname.
The Guiana Shield Region covers 2.5 million kilometers and plays an important role in the fight against climate change.