GUYANA Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and Conservation International Foundation Guyana Inc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the primary objective of addressing the drivers of deforestation in Guyana. The MoU, which forms part of a US$5.7M regional project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), provides a framework for GGDMA and Conservation International to build a network of support for the mining value chain by which the sector can improve its net contribution to Guyana’s green economy.
The MoU was signed on Friday by GGMDA President Patrick Harding and Conservation International Vice-President David Singh at the Conservation International Robb Street location.
According to the MoU, which was seen by the Guyana Chronicle,the GGDMA and Conservation International will collaborate to strengthen the building capacity of the association to foster best practices for improving efficiency, thereby simultaneously enhancing the contribution of the sector to the national green development.
Under this initiative, underserved communities such as forest-based, indigenous peoples, small-scale miners, youth, women entrepreneurs and producers of various forest products will also be engaged. They will also promote greater alignment between the public and private sector mineral resource management policies that focus on REDD+strategies.
The Conservation International Vice-President explained that the MoU, which has a lifespan of five years, will help miners to effectively address the environmental challenges they often face in the execution of their work.
Acknowledging that the gold-mining industry is a “big trigger” for economic development in Guyana, Singh emphasised that the MoU will play its rightful role in the sustainable development of the country.
“Not only from the perspective of contributing to the social and economic well-being of the country, but also responding effectively to the environmental challenges that are associated with the mining Industry,” he further explained.
He said that the MoU forms part of a larger project which involves Peru. In Peru, Conservation International is focusing on the agriculture industry, particularly the production of cocoa and coffee.
Conservation International will be building synergies between the two countries at the end of the project – “Addressing Drivers of Deforestation in Guyana and Peru,” which was initiated in April, 2015.
BUILDING SOLUTIONS
“The work will concretely look at local management planning processes, understanding and building solutions from an evidence-driven manner, so that we will be eventually able to influence policies,” Singh added.
Just before signing the MoU, Harding said that the GGDMA was pleased to collaborate with Conservation International – a collaboration that would see the local mining industry embracing better mining practices, thereby reducing the loss and degradation of intact ecosystems.
“Over the next five years, we expect that we will be able to look at better mining methods, better recovery methods, especially for the small and medium-scale miners, better exploration methods, and better ways of mining in general,” he posited.
In addition to the MoU signed between the GGDMA and Conservation International, another MoU was signed between Conservation International and the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs. Under this MoU, the ministry and Conservation International will collaborate to realise improved well-being of villages and the maintenance and sustainable management of natural capital, using nature and community-driven solutions within a changing climate, and traditional knowledge.
As such, Conservation International will work with the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs to establish community development plans, link community development and action with regional and green economy goals and simultaneously share experiences from other countries in the Region through technical-enrichment exchanges. Unlike the MoU between GGDMA and Conservation International however, this one is not being funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock said he was pleased to be a part of the process of change. “We are now confident that we have a partner to ensure that we have an environment that would be there for generations to come,” Minister Allicock said.
He said the collaboration provides the opportunity for the ministry and regional and local bodies to find the answers that the communities need.
Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who attended the signing ceremony as an observer, said Conservation International had managed to find that “sweet spot” between development and conservation, positing that objectives behind the MoUs augured well for the development of Guyana, particularly in the realisation of its green economy.
Minister with the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Conservation International Senior Vice President for the Americas Field Division Sebastiann Troëng and the Managing Director – Policy Centre for Environment and Peace Kristen Walker Painemilla were among the officials present.