PRESIDENT of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency, Mr. David Granger, yesterday addressed members and other dignitaries at the opening session of Guyana’s 11th Parliament.We feel compelled to mention His Excellency’s remarks on the urgent need for ‘a green economy’ for Guyana. Among the many important points he made were: the responsible and sensible exploitation of our natural resources, a new energy policy, and a strategy to preserve the integrity of the natural environment.

Nature matters, but we are messing it up with our push for development. We have to step back, reflect and approach the natural world with respect, stewardship and responsibility, knowing that our very existence depends entirely upon it.

For years, Echo has been making the call for environmental ethics, accountability and responsibility, particularly among those who are engaged in mining and other allied operations, in the extractive sector of our country.

The numerous accidents and incidents which continue to occur in that sector, the unnecessary deaths attributed to poor practices, total disregard for safety and the health of the environment, and the inability of the appropriate agencies to enforce the laws and other things that should help to regulate that sector; the destruction of the environment, the ecology and the negative effects of all of this upon the public health of local communities actively demonstrate the need for the Government to move swiftly to take appropriate measures and to put in place systems to protect and keep our environment.

The unsustainable mining practices could never improve our economy in the long term (no matter how high the price of gold and diamonds), and would surely affect the future of other generations.

Indeed, his comments and promise about a new energy policy is in keeping with the new global environmental spirit and mood to discover and harness renewable sources of energy: The sun, wind and water could be harvested to power our industries, sustain our economy and secure our wider society.
In Guyana, we have an abundant supply of water: ocean, rivers, seas, lakes, streams flowing through almost every region of this beautiful land of ours. Yet, we remain a people solely and worryingly dependent on fossil fuel. The emphasis of our education appears to be misplaced. Instead of training our people in fields of geotechnical engineering, natural sciences, agricultural sciences, and allied technologies, we tend to focus on the social sciences and get involved in telemarketing arrangements.
Not that anything is wrong with the social sciences; they are extremely vital to the health and security of a nation; but in nation building, education and training must be tailored to meet the development needs of the nation. It is known, that our vast resources and wealth is in agriculture, mining of precious minerals, in our forests, and renewable energy. So the President’s words are indeed precious to our ears, and relevant to the new Guyana.

Again, His Excellency’s pronouncements on a strategy to preserve the natural environment are cardinal and, in fact, fundamental to the sustainable development and growth of our economy. Good environmental governance has to be a main component of such a strategy. This must include strict enforceable legislations with very serious sanctions that would serve as a deterrent. This of course must be supported by institutions and bodies, with the competencies and capacities to protect our environment.

Then the issue of solid waste remains a sore one, not only in the city, but throughout Guyana. One sanitary landfill site nearly eight miles from the city of Georgetown; no holding area or facility; no continuous environmental and public health education programme and an abundance of non-biodegradable materials all facilitate mini dump sites in every ward of the city. The landfill site is very defective and needs urgent attention.

Efficient collection is a challenge to the city and the indiscipline of some citizens signals the need for greater enforcement of compliance to our litter laws.

Then we have the proposal for the extension of the Airport, the continuous never-ending construction of the roadways and other public infrastructure without the appropriate tests and assessments to determine their impact on the ecology of the environment.
For example, we still do not know the impact of the construction of roads on the East Bank and the East Coast on the ecology and general health of those and contiguous areas. Indeed, it is time for us to collectively work for a green Guyana.

ROYSTON KING
Executive Director
ECHO