THE Government of Guyana continues to stand strong for its commitment towards maintaining, managing, and restoring the country’s mangrove ecosystem.
This represents a fundamental aspect of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) for 2030. In the current state of affairs, where coastal communities face persistent threats from rising sea levels, mangrove forests serve as a natural protective barrier for the vulnerable lands that lie along the Atlantic Ocean.
In July, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) Foundation collaborated to organise a mangrove tour along the East Coast of Demerara, spanning from Turkeyen to Ogle.
The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem is celebrated every year on 26 July, and aims to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem” and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.
The tour was led by the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, and accompanied by several notable individuals including the UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yesim Oruc, CEO of NAREI, Jagnarine Singh, British High Commissioner Jane Miller, Managing Director of EMC, Shyam Nokta, and other representatives from the ministry.
The exercise was executed with the purpose of increasing awareness and promoting techniques for the sustainable management, conservation and utilisation of the mangrove ecosystem, in commemoration of the International Day of the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
Minister Mustapha expressed his appreciation to NAREI and EMC for their efforts in establishing a mangrove restoration site at Ogle, along with various other collaborative projects undertaken throughout the years. According to him, partnerships such as these are essential, as emphasised by the Minister, to enhance the development of Guyana’s mangrove ecosystem and effectively combat climate change.
“And I want to also ask the other private sector bodies to come on board. We must not look at the government’s allocation and other corporate entities. We must do this in partnership because climate change is real. Before, we were having two inches of rainfall in two months. However, in peak rainfall months, we are having six and seven inches of rainfall in two hours. We are living in a very vulnerable region, and we must be prepared,” the agriculture minister added.
Additionally, Minister Mustapha highlighted that to underscore the significance of mangroves, comparable endeavours could be implemented nationwide, specifically in Berbice and Essequibo.
According to him, “since I became Minister of Agriculture, we have expended more than $500 million in the restoration and development of our mangrove system. This shows the government’s commitment and what we are doing as an administration.” He also added that the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and the Vice President, Dr Jagdeo, along with the administration, are actively working to manage and restore mangroves, and conducting training in about 12 areas across the country.
In the meantime, to further improve the region, EMC plans to keep collaborating with NAREI, the River and Sea Defence Board, and other stakeholders, according to the company’s founder and managing director, Shyam Nokta, “And to make it a zone for recreation as it already is, but also for awareness of the environment and conservation; and especially now, where we are seeing, after many years, mangroves coming back along the foreshore,” Nokta disclosed.
The British High Commissioner to Guyana, Her Excellency Jane Miller, also explained the importance of mangroves and the protection that they give to the coastland. She also reminded the gathering of its importance to the environment and the future of Guyana’s economy.
This is part of a weekly series on LCDS.) The author can be contacted at cparkinson0206@gmail.com
