OVER the last two decades protection of the environment has become a watchword in Guyana. People and governments all over the world have been realising the importance of protecting the environment. The environment in this broad sense includes Ecology and refers to the Earth’s surface and the flora and fauna. It is now being recognised that all life is interconnected and that if the flora and fauna and the Earth’s surface are being misused or destroyed, the quality of human life would be diminished and could lead to social and economic disasters. Protection of the environment has therefore become part of the policies of governments worldwide and in the Caribbean, Guyana’s environmental policies and activities stand out.

We will mention a few examples of how misuse of the environment could result in unforeseen disaster: In New England in the United States some years ago, the apple orchards were being attacked by swarms of insects. The farmers succeeded in eliminating the insects with chemical sprays and the trees blossomed in good measure and a bountiful harvest was expected. But there was no bountiful harvest and when the agronomists and other scientists examined the orchards, they found that the blossoms had not been pollinated since the bees and other insects which had done the pollination had been eradicated. This is an example where the interconnectivity and interdependence of nature had been ignored, resulting in serious economic loss.

One of the most famous examples of the misuse of fertile farmlands and desertification occurred in the Midwest of the United States in the last century, and resulted in the area becoming a “dust bowl” causing much economic suffering. The famous novel “The Grapes of Wrath” describes the condition.

In Guyana, the coastal areas are below sea level and have to be defended from inundation by the sea by various forms of sea defences. To build concrete and stone walls is prohibitively expensive. The mangrove which grew in abundance along the coast effectively kept out the sea for centuries. However, people began to cut down the mangrove for various uses and the sea began to come into areas which had been defended by the mangrove. Laws had to be made to protect the mangrove and efforts have been made to replant them. This is an example of how destruction of flora could negatively affect human life. The international community has understood the necessity of environmental protection in its broadest sense if human life is to be fully sustainable on the planet. Such concern has been manifested in the Rio Conventions of the United Nations. The Rio Conventions are three international agreements initiated in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference is usually termed the “Earth Summit”. Guyana signed on to the Conventions in 1992.

The three Rio Conventions are: United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD); United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The aims of the UNCBD are: (a) Conservation of Biological Diversity for future generations; (b) Exploitation of Biological Diversity in a sustainable way; (c) Sharing the benefits from the use of genetic resources in a fair and equitable manner. The UNCBD is essential for food security, medicines, fresh air, water, shelter and a clean and a healthy environment in which to live. It supports the efforts to provide knowledge and fill information gaps on the management of biodiversity.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been more in the news than the other two because there is much political concern and involvement with it. Arising from the UNFCCC are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, in which the parties have committed to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aimed at preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. This convention has begun to be regarded with some urgency since some of the negative effects of climate change are being recognised.

The Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reflects a strong link between desertification, land degradation and drought and adaptation to climate change. This convention provides for the formulation of national action programmes to combat poverty reduction and vulnerability to climate change in affected developing countries. The conventions are important to Guyana because they provide a range of services and expertise that can assist the country to effectively address climate change, land degradation and desertification and biodiversity loss when achieving sustainable development.

In keeping with these conventions, Guyana has made some notable achievements which include: The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan; Arapaima Management Plan; National Mangrove Action Plan; North Rupununi Adaptive Management Plan; National Action Programme to Combat Land Degradation; and the establishment of four Protected Areas – Iwokrama Forest; Kaieteur National Park; Shell Beach; and the Kanuku Mountains.
We recommend that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) be accorded full support in its enthusiastic and creative efforts, in dealing with environmental concerns for achieving a more prosperous and healthier Guyana.