Kaieteur could become a World Heritage Site if management were improved by Matt Falloon Stabroek News December 4, 2000 Kaieteur National Park will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the next 18 months if its management is improved to international standards. In an interview with Stabroek News, the ex- Director and founder of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris, Dr Bernd Von Droste, enthused over the beauty and natural richness of the area and outlined the main obstacles which he believes must be overcome to preserve the "treasure chest" of Kaieteur. "It is imperative that the local communities do not suffer from the development of the site," he explained. "The management of the area must be planned with great care and attention to the needs and desires of the people of Kaieteur." "I have seen many beautiful and valuable sites that have been ruined by development and uncensored tourism," Dr Von Droste said, citing Niagara Falls in the USA as the worst example of destroying the long-term potential value of any beautiful natural phenomenon by short-term profiteering. "It is a difficult situation to balance eco-tourism with preservation," he asserted, "nobody wants to see the effects of tourism but everyone wants the benefits." Dr Von Droste retired as director of the World Heritage Centre in 1999 and is assuming an ambassador's role in world conservation. His career with UNESCO spans some three decades of conservation experience and includes the implementation of the World Heritage Convention with 160 member nations. He has worked all over the world resolving problems in conservation from Australia to the Galapagos Islands. Most of these disputes have been between what the international community wants for a site and what the nation state desires. In Guyana, the problem of the management of natural sites is of paramount importance to both the future of the economy and the maintenance of cultural heritage. "Kaieteur Fall houses some 1,000 species of plants and animals and an incalculable amount of unknown organisms," stated Von Droste. "It would take years and years to catalogue these organisms and determine their potential for medical and scientific use. It's a treasure chest of genetic material." "In fact," he enthused, "The whole area is completely unique, based on massive geological changes two billion years ago; what we call the Guiana Shield. There is nowhere like it in the world and there never will be anywhere like it again. We must all come to learn that these areas belong to humanity as well as specific nations." The Guiana Shield stretches from Venezuela to Brazil and French Guiana and consists not only of peculiar geological formations but also unrivalled conditions for organic life. Last week, the Guiana Shield Workshop on the Management of Natural Sites at the Hotel Tower, Georgetown, attempted to thrash out a draft report of recommendations for the management of areas like Kaieteur: How to interact effectively with local communities, how to develop safe eco-tourism practices and how to properly preserve the sites. It is hoped that the draft report will be given the full support of the Guiana Shield national governments and drastically alter the poor environmental track record of the area. Von Droste is in the process of amending the report before it is published and left to the governmental agencies to begin the long process of improving environmental management for the long-term benefit of the area and for the listing of Kaieteur as a World Heritage Site. So what must Guyana do to bring Kaieteur up to the standards of the World Heritage Convention? And what benefits will it bring the country, bearing in mind that in his address to the Guiana Shield Workshop, Prime Minister Sam Hinds looked forward to tourism eventually accounting for upwards of 20 per cent of the economy? In his feature address at the workshop, Adviser to the President for Science and Technology, Navin Chandarpal, accused the international community of economically crippling developing countries with unscrupulous business practices while at the same time making unreasonable demands for the upkeep of areas of natural beauty. He demanded a change in the global economy before such dreams of preservation could be made a reality, complaining that all too often outsiders with little or no knowledge of the complexity of developing economies are interfering and destroying the little progress that had been made. These "pious" internationals hold all the cards, he charged, and we have to be able to meet on a level playing field. "It is a serious problem," Von Droste confirmed, "and is made more problematic by the fact that the area around Kaieteur is still being mined for gold and is a playground for illegal loggers. There is no way Kaieteur could be listed with those activities still going on." Patrick Williams of the Guyana WWF explained that the area is seriously understaffed and those few staff who are monitoring are poorly trained and paid. Von Droste concurred: "This is another problem - getting the right trained staff on the ground to oversee the project. Who wants to work down there for no money?" It seems as though Guyana has a long way to go to reach the standards being set. Von Droste explained that at present the area immediately around the falls is trampled and damaged. "Right now, you fly into Kaieteur and land right on top of it. In the future, we must think about relocating the tourist base downstream, away from the falls, so that careless tourists do not ruin the falls." "Furthermore, a proper management scheme must be drawn up and then carried out with full government backing. Overseas agencies will provide support if they are convinced that the project is sincere." "The first step is to be realistic, problems can be solved but the infrastructure of life in the Kaieteur area must not be jeopardised by the short-term gains to be made from tourism. The long-term gains are much greater provided that Kaieteur is looked after properly." He explained that the benefits of World Heritage status are numerous, including worldwide prestige, grants and funding, and a greater attraction for tourists. "Tourism must not be underestimated," Von Droste confirmed, "it is possible to manage and preserve natural sites alongside profitable tourism activities." Williams agreed, "the WWF is non-traditional in our management of natural sites. We do not believe in sectioning off areas and leaving them there. That is not a natural process. Nature is for interaction and we try to use natural sites as well as preserving them." "It will take an exceptional effort," Von Droste concluded, "but it will be worth it. Once the land is gone, by mining, careless management or whatever, the land is gone. We must not let that happen." However, the fact remains that the developing world has done just fine out of raping its own areas of natural beauty. From the outside, immediate exploitation of natural resources appears to produce prosperity and power. Convincing the developing world that development will come out of preservation seems both hypocritical and perhaps even plain wrong. The developed world has traditionally used nature as a waste bin, why should the developing world be any different? Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today