THE World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas has expressed concern that the cut to the budgetary allocation for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) will undoubtedly negatively impact the country’s development initiatives through the revolutionary programme. The strategy, that seeks to transform Guyana’s economy along a low-carbon trajectory, is the brainchild of former President Bharrat Jagdeo and is today considered a blueprint in the global search for a solution to tackle the climate change phenomenon.
It is built around forest conservation and preservation, and has identified priority projects such as hydropower, Amerindian land titling and demarcation, a climate adaptation project with funding from an historic Guyana /Norway forest carbon services agreement.
According to the WWF, Guyana has shown leadership among the global community in seeking solutions to the issue of climate change and biodiversity conservation through the innovative development of the LCDS.
The body, which hailed Guyana’s LCDS as one with transformational capacity, is disappointed with the recent actions in parliament and is urging that “sincere and urgent dialogue be pursued among key decision makers in an attempt to bring a speedy resolution to the current impasse.”
The $20B allocated to the strategy in this year’s national budget was reduced to $1B after the opposition political parties used their one-seat majority to cut $19B from the strategy.
The cuts have also attracted the attention of the Norwegian Government, according to New Norwegian Ambassador to Guyana, Aud Marti Wiig, who met Prime Minister Samuel Hinds recently.
Guyana has already earned US$115M from the Norwegian Government with the setting up of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) to implement projects under the LCDS.
During last year, funding from the GRIF was disbursed for the US$7M Institutional Strengthening Project to support the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Office of Climate Change and the Project Management Office, and for the US$6M Amerindian Development Fund project which provides financing to support the socio-economic development of Amerindian communities and villages through the implementation of their Community Development Plans (CDPs).
During his presentation of the 2013 budget, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh had also announced that the US$5M Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Development project was approved for implementation.
This year’s other LCDS projects, such as the Amerindian Land Titling Project and a climate-adaptation project, were on the cards for fast- tracking. Sums totalling US$17.6M were allocated for Institutional Strengthening, the Amerindian Development Fund, Amerindian Land Titling, Micro and Small Enterprise Development and other projects, and a sum of US$80M to fund Guyana’s equity contribution to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. (GINA)
It is built around forest conservation and preservation, and has identified priority projects such as hydropower, Amerindian land titling and demarcation, a climate adaptation project with funding from an historic Guyana /Norway forest carbon services agreement.
According to the WWF, Guyana has shown leadership among the global community in seeking solutions to the issue of climate change and biodiversity conservation through the innovative development of the LCDS.
The body, which hailed Guyana’s LCDS as one with transformational capacity, is disappointed with the recent actions in parliament and is urging that “sincere and urgent dialogue be pursued among key decision makers in an attempt to bring a speedy resolution to the current impasse.”
The $20B allocated to the strategy in this year’s national budget was reduced to $1B after the opposition political parties used their one-seat majority to cut $19B from the strategy.
The cuts have also attracted the attention of the Norwegian Government, according to New Norwegian Ambassador to Guyana, Aud Marti Wiig, who met Prime Minister Samuel Hinds recently.
Guyana has already earned US$115M from the Norwegian Government with the setting up of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) to implement projects under the LCDS.
During last year, funding from the GRIF was disbursed for the US$7M Institutional Strengthening Project to support the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Office of Climate Change and the Project Management Office, and for the US$6M Amerindian Development Fund project which provides financing to support the socio-economic development of Amerindian communities and villages through the implementation of their Community Development Plans (CDPs).
During his presentation of the 2013 budget, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh had also announced that the US$5M Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Development project was approved for implementation.
This year’s other LCDS projects, such as the Amerindian Land Titling Project and a climate-adaptation project, were on the cards for fast- tracking. Sums totalling US$17.6M were allocated for Institutional Strengthening, the Amerindian Development Fund, Amerindian Land Titling, Micro and Small Enterprise Development and other projects, and a sum of US$80M to fund Guyana’s equity contribution to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. (GINA)
