Underscoring the importance of the Guiana Shield – which is considered to be the lungs of the earth— President David Granger has expressed alarm at events within this critical area that result in the destruction of the much-needed preserved forests.
President David Granger with Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams, Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton and the participants of this year’s YNR apprenticeship programme
According to the Guyanese Head of State, the Guiana Shield is not only essential to enriching and replenishing the world’s biodiversity, but is also consequently essential to the planet’s survival.
“This is all we have and we have to protect and preserve it… [So] there’s justifiable alarm in what is taking place in other areas in the South American continent; when so many trees are being cut down or burn to the ground,” the President asserted.
The Guiana Shield encompasses some 270 million hectares of forests, covering Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela and small parts of Colombia and northern Brazil. It is home to exceptional biodiversity and plays a key role in the fight against climate change, by alone storing over a billion tons of carbons and mitigates the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Guiana Shield is located to the northwest of the Amazon rainforest, 60 per cent of which is located within the borders of neighbouring Brazil. However, currently the Portuguese-speaking nation is experiencing its most intense forest inferno in almost a decade.
Fires have been ripping through the Amazon at a record rate for weeks. While the Amazon usually experiences wildfires during the dry season (July-October), experts say that the blaze has intensified as a result of deforestation and a practice called ‘slash and burn’— which clears the forest to make way for agriculture, livestock, logging, mining and other developmental activities.
Figures provided by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show more than 87,000 forest fires were recorded in Brazil in the first eight months of 2019, compared to 49,000 in the same period last year.
While the inferno is a direct concern of countries around the world, it is particularly worrisome to the Amazonian countries which include Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Last week, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told reporters that while concerns are brewing over the blaze across the border, no direct impact has been identified to Guyana’s own forests. Nevertheless, he noted that the country is taking precautionary measures to protect against any such occurrence in its dense forest.
With the Amazon fires stirring fears around the world, President Granger has underscored the need for Guyana to continue to intensify preservation practices that would keep the rainforest and its biodiversity intact, not only for the benefit of current population, but future generations as well.
He was at the time delivering the feature address on Friday at the closing ceremony for the third Youth in Natural Resources Apprenticeship Programme, which saw 28 young people being exposed to Guyana’s interior regions to learn about the Natural Resources Sector and job opportunities in these industries.
According to the Head of State, with over 75% of Guyana’s territory covered by forests, Guyana continues to be a global front runner in the promotion of environment conservation. Pointing out that the biggest threat to this is the extractive industries, the President charged that steps be taken protect the environment from this.
“We must take measures to ensure the sustainability of our resources and also the protection of our population. We must not believe that environment damage is a victimless crime… The extractive industries, particularly mining and logging, despite their immeasurable economic benefits, are associates of mid-air pollution, biodiversity loss, fresh water and maritime contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation and resource depletion. These industries must be developed in a manner that protects the environment,” he contended.
President Granger went on to outline that this generation is merely a trustee and custodian of the environment and its natural resources, and as such, cannot bequeath a “damaged legacy” to future descendants.
“There is need now to arrest the destruction of the environment by some of the most ruthless extractive industries,” he asserted, adding that he is not blaming anyone except the “bad guys”.
However, Granger further commended the Natural Resources Ministry for undertaking the Youths in Natural Resources (YNR) programme, which exposes young people to the prospect of involvement in the extractive industries as an honourable vocation if done sustainably and with due regard for the environment.
“It involves young people in the protection and preservation of the environment. Youth in Guyana can look forward to a bright future in the Natural Resources sector. Guyana of necessity must continue to support farming, logging and mining which are the principle occupations which sustain the population. These sectors will remain the main stays of the economy and the providers of employment,” he stressed.
