HIGHLIGHTING that the government has been clear in its policies pertaining to the sustainability of biodiversity, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday indicated that there is a need for education on this policy balance.
The Head of State made these remarks during a visit to the Sophia Point Rainforest Research Centre, where he noted that the project is one that fits into the National Development Strategy.
During his brief address, Dr Ali highlighted that Guyana is the best in the world in relation to forest management and on the issue of deforestation, among other things.

“We are the leader in the world on market credits and developing a proven model for forest carbon and the forest; our development strategy in the LCDS is a model that many countries can learn from,” he added.
However, he noted that while this can be said, there is still much for Guyana to learn in this regard, but it is important to acknowledge what the country has while the country is still in the learning curve.
To this end, with significant growth seen across various sectors, Dr Ali added that many persons see natural resources as a major opportunity.

Further, he indicated that it is important to develop and educate the population on the very delicate balance of this requirement and the policies surrounding biodiversity and the environment initiated by the government.
He said, “It is very important to look at the signals from the government in relation to the policies and you will see that our signals are very clear and defined.”

This, he added, is why they announced the biodiversity alliance to send a global signal that biodiversity is important for maintaining the balance of nature and the ecosystem, among other things.
It was then that he indicated that he believes the research centre allows for research on integrating economic livelihoods with environmental sustainability.