THE US Embassy in Georgetown will be hosting Dr. Janaki R.R. Alavalapati, a Senior Fellow with the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, for an August 12 to 16, 2013 visit to Guyana.

While here, Dr. Alavalapati will participate in meetings and activities related to  sustainable forestry practices, renewable energy, and climate change. He will consult with Government officials, non-governmental organizations, and academic researchers on ways to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhance carbon sequestration in the land use sector, including through the conservation and sustainable management of forests.
The visit will include a meeting with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud; a presentation at the University of Guyana’s Conference on Sustainable Development, and a trip to the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.
A release from the US Embassy in Georgetown said Dr. Alavalapati’s visit to Guyana supports implementation of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).  The statement recalled that, at the April 2009 Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, leaders of the Western Hemisphere underscored that energy and climate change are among the most important issues confronting the region, and reaffirmed their commitment to working together towards a clean-energy future.
The release also noted that, in responding to these shared challenges, President Obama invited all governments in the Western Hemisphere to join the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas. President Obama encouraged a strong ECPA focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner and more efficient use of fossil fuels, energy poverty and infrastructure.
In April 2010, former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton proposed the expansion of ECPA to include initiatives on sustainable forests and land use and climate change adaptation.
Senior ECPA Fellows Program, the statement outlined, is a network of high-level technical experts in the fields of climate change and energy, who travel between countries in the Western Hemisphere to consult with governments or other institutions. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs, and is administered by Partners of the Americas.
There are currently 20 Senior ECPA Fellows who participate in these international exchanges.
Dr. Janaki R.R. Alavalapati is a Professor and the Head of the Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Department within the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech University. Dr. Alavalapati’s experience includes sustainable forests and landscapes, climate mitigation and adaptation, sustainable biomass energy, environmental services, community forestry, agroforestry, and policy impact analysis.
As a Senior Advisor on International Energy Affairs at the US Department of State, and a Senior ECPA Fellow, he has worked on several bilateral and multilateral energy initiatives.
Dr. Alavalapati has taught courses in Forest Conservation and Management Policy; Forest Resources Valuation; Natural Resource Economics; Natural Resource Policy and Administration; Bioenergy; and Integrated Forested Watershed Management. He has also designed and implemented projects focusing on market and policy solutions for forests; and natural resources and environmental problems at local, regional, and international levels.