PRESIDENT David Granger intends to use Iwokrama as a source from which to harness renewable energy as Guyana continues to find creative ways of pushing its green agenda.

The President made this announcement on his weekly television programme The Public Interest, aired on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Friday.

The Head of State, just last week, hinted that the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development will be used as a flagship project by the APNU+AFC Administration for the harvesting of renewable energy. However, he did not reveal what forms of renewable energy the Government was looking at. Quizzed on the last episode of the programme, he disclosed that moves will be made to source solar and water power from Iwokrama.

“We could promote the use of sustainable energy, particularly solar and wind and water power. If you stood on the banks of Iwokrama, you could see the Essequibo river. You can dip your hand in the Essequibo, because it’s always moving. We can have what they call run-of-the-river hydro; you don’t have to have a huge waterfall or a huge reservoir,” the President said.

He then disclosed the possibility of solar energy being generated in the Rupununi, given that part of Iwokrama is in the North Rupununi and part is in the South (Potaro Siparuni). He noted that, during this time, there are about 13 hours of sunlight during the day, which opens the opportunity for “huge solar farms.”

And while contending that the forms of renewable energy from this arrangement would largely be solar and water, he noted that wind energy generation would be light, given the heavy forest cover.
“So, because of this, I would say the best opportunities for sustainable energy will be solar and water,” the President said. He also contended that the future of Guyana is in Iwokrama.

“Without biodiversity, without sustainable exploitation of our resources, we will not be able to develop this country quickly and fully,” he said.

The Head of State reiterated that the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development will be used as a project through which people can harvest renewable energy in a sustainable manner.

“I see Iwokrama as a big laboratory; a big laboratory that will preserve our flora and fauna for future generations,” the President added.

This announcement by the President comes just one year after he committed to working closely with Iwokrama with the aim of restructuring its agenda. That commitment was made in June 2015 following a meeting with Iwokrama’s Chief Executive Officer, Dane Gobin, along with Conservationist Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh and Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, at a time when the centre was operating at a shortfall of US$1.3M.

The CEO had explained during an interview at the time that the Centre needed an average of US$2.5M to effectively execute its mandate, which is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of tropical rainforests in a manner that would lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits for the people of Guyana.