By Shirley Thomas
Guyana Chronicle
March 15, 2001

THE ongoing crisis facing the world's rainforest - deforestation, cracks in the Antarctic Shield, vast portions of the diversity of life no longer being able to exist - all point to the stark reality that climatic patterns are intensifying.

This was the global environmental scenario outlined by Director General of the Iwokrama International Centre, Mr. David Cassels, as he opened a seminar on `Zoning the Iwokrama Forest' at Le Meridien Pegasus Friday.

The Centre organised the seminar, which brought together some 50 stakeholders, including environmental scientists and engineers and representatives of Amerindian associations, for a `National stakeholder review of the zoning process and the final scenarios'.

The objective of the workshop, Cassels said, was to give the participants a background to what stage the Centre is at and to invite their input into the project.

The zoning was considered important in the overall movement of Iwokrama to realise the objective set ten years ago when Guyana invited the international community to form the partnership for the management of the Iwokrama reserve. The project emerged because of the ongoing crisis facing the world's forest, and the broader question of environment and development.

But for the Centre to effectively execute its planned programmes and make a significant impact on the projected scenarios, major capital inflows are required.

To this end, the Centre has a vision for realising financial self-sufficiency for its core activities by the year 2007.

Cassels said that the hope for financial self-sufficiency is one of the most important features of the Centre, and is fundamental to the whole mission of the organisation.

Albeit, he said that partnerships are really crucial if the broader global problems are to be addressed. He disclosed that there about 29 bilateral and multinational partners, contributing in cash or kind to the programme. Major partners are Department for International Development in the United Kingdom and the European Union.

He expressed appreciation for donor support received, adding that hadn't it been for that, Iwokrama would not be operating.

"But in the future we would have to go beyond that... and that is important for the survival of Iwokrama," he affirmed.

Iwokrama's long term aim is to generate between $3-4M per year. Its anticipated donor support by year 2007 is some US$3-4M (but decreasing rapidly), while their expectations in terms of income generation is US$4M.

And though presenting quite a challenge for an entity in charge of just about two per cent of the forest resources of Guyana, Cassels feels that given innovative sources of finance for various forest-based activities, the Centre should realise the targeted sum.

He unveiled plans for setting up permanent headquarters for Iwokrama at the University of Guyana campus and said that the Centre is hopeful this could be achieved through donor support. However, the desired response has not been forthcoming.

Cassels sees the move as important "because of the interaction between the centre and students in learning at the university."

Work is progressing apace on the zoning and Cassels indicated this should be completed by May 2001.

And pondering the effects of the global environmental situation, Cassels considered the threat to the existence and ultimate disappearance of half the diversity of life to be the most curious scenario.

"There is evidence that climatic patterns are intensifying," he said.

Cassels alluded to enormous flooding in parts of both the developing and developed world and moving glaciers, leading to very dramatic flooding of villages and valleys. He said this signals there is something very dramatic going on.

In the face of poverty and lack of development, he contended that the merging of these two agenda is very fundamental to the future of human kind, and potentially, many other species on earth as well.

In preparing itself to make its contribution towards international forest conservation and development and the zoning of the Iwokrama forest, the seminar looked at the crisis in forest conservation and management and environmentally friendly and socially sustainable development.

The role of Iwokrama was also examined in the context establishing a pluralistic partnership between Guyana and the world; a link between key stakeholders at the local, national and international levels and an action bearing experiment.

And commenting on "where Iwokrama is at", Cassels noted that there was a long gestation period between 1989 - 1998. This year, the Centre hopes to complete a comprehensive range of community based wildlife management training programmes with a focus on learning by doing.

Other goals include completing protocols on intellectual property rights and benefit sharing and tendering processes for business partnerships for the full range of resources the forest can offer - timber forest products, eco-tourism, and exciting and innovative areas of endowment.

By 2007, it hopes to achieve financial self-sufficiency for core activities.

Cassels recalled that in 1989, then President, Mr. Desmond Hoyte made the offer to set aside a large area of forest for use as a demonstration area to conduct research.

Areas of research include bio-diversity, carbon storage, reduced impact logging and carbon extraction.

The forum was interesting, informative and evoked frank and forthright discussions, and both sides were able to learn from each other.