Guyana’s development depends significantly on its natural resources – Bharrat tells int’l forum

…says objective is to balance development and conservation

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, on Wednesday emphasised that Guyana’s development depends significantly on its natural resources, including forests, minerals, agriculture, fisheries, water resources and other ecosystem assets. He made the remarks during his participation in a ministerial dialogue at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), taking place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” The dialogue was held during Land and People Day at the conference, under the theme “From Summits to the Floodplains: Connecting Ecosystems and livelihoods.” In this regard, Bharrat informed that the objective is not to choose between development and conservation, but to ensure that resource use is sustainable in the long-term. He emphasised that resource extraction should be undertaken within clear environmental safeguards, including monitoring of impacts, rehabilitation requirements and measures to protect water resources, forests, biodiversity and downstream users. The Minister highlighted that Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030) provides an important framework because it recognises that sustainable economic development must be compatible with maintaining the country’s natural capital, particularly its forests and ecosystem services. He noted that the approach should also recognise that different parts of the landscape have different values and sensitivities, and that locations of high biodiversity, important watersheds, critical habitats and areas supporting vulnerable communities may require stronger protection. Minister Bharrat further posited that integrated management can also help identify areas where economic activity is most appropriate, thereby allowing resource development to take place while reducing impacts on environmentally and socially important areas.

Food security & economic value
Moreover, he underscored that food security must remain part of this equation, contending that agricultural and land-use planning should ensure that development does not undermine the soils, water systems and ecosystems on which food production depends. The Natural Resources Minister further stated that Guyana’s extensive forest and natural ecosystems must be recognised as “productive natural assets”, providing carbon storage, biodiversity, water regulation, flood protection and livelihoods. In fact, he noted that this is where innovative financing under LCDS 2030, including forest climate finance, can complement traditional resource-based economic activity by creating economic value from maintaining ecosystem services.
Bharrat also pointed to the emerging work of the Global Biodiversity Alliance which reinforces the principle that countries should be able to derive economic value from conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystems of global importance. “The objective is not to stop development; it is to ensure that development today does not undermine the natural resource base required for development tomorrow,” he expressed. The Natural Resources Minister also highlighted that Guyana’s experience demonstrates that communities and indigenous peoples must be treated as partners in natural resource governance, rather than simply stakeholders to be consulted after decisions have already been made. He stressed that indigenous communities possess generational knowledge of forests, rivers, wildlife, seasons, water systems and landscape changes, noting that this can complement scientific monitoring and improve decision-making.
Moreover, he contended that communities should also have access to information in forms and languages that are appropriate to them, so that participation is meaningful rather than merely procedural. According to Bharrat, Guyana’s experience demonstrates that the most durable approach is one in which communities are not asked to choose between conservation and development, but are empowered to shape a development pathway in which healthy ecosystems contribute directly to their livelihoods and wellbeing.