LCDS initiatives to be advanced this year
GUYANA continues to provide leadership and advocacy on the international stage in the fight against climate change, and Government envisions the advancement of a number of core Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) initiatives, during the current year. During his presentation last Friday of a record breaking $192.8B National Budget in the National Assembly, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh said, within the next five years, Guyana’s place would have been secured as a global leader in providing environmental services, in particular utilising our vast forest resources in the fight against climate change, and environmental responsibility will underlie every policy in the modern Guyana.

“I have in previous budget speeches made detailed reference to the visionary Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) developed by our government, to align and remove any incompatibility between the objectives of environmental responsibility and accelerated economic and social development,” he reminded.

“I have also previously made detailed reference to the historic partnership entered into by Guyana and Norway, under which Norway compensates Guyana for environmental services provided by Guyana’s forests, and under which a total of US$250M is projected to be transferred by Norway to Guyana, over a five year period.”

He told the House that, at the end of 2011, two tranches totalling US$70M had been transferred by Norway to the Guyana REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Investment Fund (GRIF), and these funds having been disbursed into the GRIF, Government is currently working with its Norwegian counterparts and multilateral partner entities, to refine the administrative and institutional arrangements for these resources to flow to implement the projects and programmes articulated in the LCDS.

One such partner entity, he said, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has already given approval for the first of the GRIF-funded LCDS projects valued at US$7M, through which government will strengthen the Guyana Forestry Commission’s capacity for implementing REDD+ activities.

In addition, he said, a comprehensive assessment of forest area change, identification of areas affected by forest degradation and technical capacity to develop forest carbon stock measurement and monitoring will be addressed.

“Government envisions the advancement of a number of core LCDS initiatives during the current year,” Minister Singh declared.

He said, most notably, construction of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) is anticipated to commence by the end of the third quarter of 2012, adding that under the GRIF, government proposes to provide US$80M of equity to the Amaila project.

He said, also, Amerindian communities will benefit from a land titling and demarcation project, the Amerindian Development Fund will channel funds directly to Amerindian communities to support the development of community-identified priority projects, and a micro and small enterprise development programme will address the major bottlenecks in the development of a strengthened entrepreneurial and small business sector.

Importantly, he said, the Cunha Canal rehabilitation, which is the first climate adaptation project under the LCDS, will help to reduce the risks of flooding of areas along the East Bank Demerara, and it is expected that other climate adaptation projects to be funded under the GRIF, will be identified.

Continuing on their commitment to responsible environmental management, he said last year, the Protected Areas Act 2011 was enacted, to govern the establishment and management of a National Protected Areas System in Guyana.

He said in keeping with the requirements of the Act, the establishment of a new entity, the Protected Areas Commission, has recently been concluded with its main functions being to establish, manage, maintain, promote, and expand the national protected areas system.

Planned activities for 2012 include the establishment of an institutional structure for the Protected Areas Commission, including site-level management authorities, hiring of rangers, and the setting up of a Trust Fund.

The Commission will also begin to oversee the implementation of the Kanuku Mountains Management Plan and the Kaieteur National Park Management Plan, and will seek to produce a Shell Beach Protected Areas Management Plan.