–as Guyana signs MoU with Frankfurt Zoological Society 

GUYANA, on Wednesday, signed a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) to collaborate on designing and developing new protected areas in Guyana over the next few years.

The country has committed to having some 30 per cent of the country’s land and marine space designated as protected areas, and sees the partnership with FZS as an important boost to assisting in this direction.

“Because we have plans for 30 per cent of our marine as well as land space to be considered protected area, we also need some capacity building in this regard, and partnering here with the FZS allows us to develop that partnership to get that type of support and to build up our ability to properly manage our protected areas system,” Foreign Secretary and Chairman of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) in Guyana, Robert Persaud, said during the signing ceremony at Herdmanston Lodge, on Wednesday.

“We have a very aggressive approach in terms of reaching out, collaborating and engaging our partner because we want to develop a world class protected area system. It is to work with our international partners, those who have experience, expertise and the resources for us to build that world class system and allow us to achieve our world class target,” Persaud said.

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological or cultural values. In protected areas, human presence and the exploitation of natural resources is limited.

Formed in 2012 under the Protected Areas Act of 2011, the PAC is a semi-autonomous agency with responsibility to manage, maintain, promote and expand the National Protected Areas System (NPAS) of Guyana.
The FZS is an international conservation organisation founded in 1858 with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The society focuses on maintaining biodiversity and conserving wildlife and ecosystems in protected areas and outstanding wild places.

The FZS leads and supports about 30 projects in 18 countries. This organisation is active in biodiversity-rich areas in central and Eastern Europe, East Africa, central South America and south-east Asia.

Wednesday’s MoU was signed by Permanent Secretary of the Office of the President of Guyana, Abena Moore, while signing on behalf of FZS was Dr. Antje Mullner, Head of the FZS South America and South East Asia Department.

This is the second MoU that FZS signed with Guyana, with the first having been signed in 2015.

The FZS first started working in Guyana eight years ago, giving support on both strategic and organisational development of the PAC, while supporting the effective management of the Kanuku Mountain protected area in the south.

The support included technical advisors, funds to the PAC to recruit and train rangers, and to establish wildlife monitoring systems.

“From the beginning, we’ve felt really welcomed here in the country. I am really glad that after these many years we meet to sign another MoU for another five years; this supports a very special FZS core principle which is long term commitment,” Mullner said.

Guyana’s commitment to maintaining and expanding its protected areas is an important part of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

Mullner congratulated the country on the work it has done on the LCDS 2030, describing it as ambitious and important.

Through the LCDS 2030, Guyana, last Friday. signed an agreement with oil giant Hess Corporation, which would see Guyana receiving a minimum of US$750 million to purchase 30 per cent of the country’s high quality, REDD+ jurisdictional carbon credits. This is the first deal of its kind.

The deal proved that Guyana is able to leverage its vast forest preservation as a means of gaining economic returns for the country.

Foreign Secretary commented that the deal shows that even as Guyana develops its oil and gas industry, the country is still committed to being a model and example of environmental stewardship.

“An important element of our policy in terms of national development is creating that harmony and draw that equilibrium to utilise our natural resource but at the same time not sacrificing our environmental stewardship,” Persaud said.