Tapping into the forests
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
July 20, 2004
THE forest sector which has been going through a bad patch for several years, according to timber producers, is set for what acting Agriculture Minister, Mr. Satyadeow Sawh sees as “a giant leap” forward.
His optimism is based on the news last week that Guyana’s capacity to engage in sustainable forestry which meets international standards and regulations is getting a boost with a 450,000-500,000 Euros grant from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Commissioner of Forests, Mr. James Singh, who was at a recent WWF meeting in French Guiana with the minister, told reporters at a news conference with Mr. Sawh, that the grant is from the WWF Guianas Sustainable Resources Management Project.
A major plank of the plan for the implementation of sustainable forestry practices here will be certification, he said, and projected that by the end of this year more than 500,000 hectares of forests would be certified as being exploited in a sustainable manner.
This would be a significant impetus for exporting local forestry and timber products to international markets and bring benefits to the Gross Domestic Product and the national economy, according to Mr. Singh.
There is concern worldwide about damage done to the environment through destructive and unsustainable forestry practices and major international donors have linked continued aid to developing countries to the adoption and implementation of acceptable harvesting techniques.
Timber exports are also subject to stringent checks in most major markets and those breaching set standards face sanctions from the international community.
Guyana, according to the Commissioner of Forests, has been doing its part to meet the guidelines.
He has noted that as part of gearing the local forest industry for competition on the international market under the Guyana National Forestry Initiative on Certification (GNIFC), the Guyana Forest Products Association should by the end of the month arrive at a strategic plan for implementing a standard for the sector.
He said WWF will also help enhance several other critical areas of the industry, including establishing a Timber Marketing Council intended to help local operators gain greater access to markets; intensifying research, particularly in the area of utilising and disposing waste from the industry in an environment-friendly manner, and training.
These are significant and major steps forward and should serve to set the forestry sector firmly back on track while meeting concerns of the international environmental lobby.
Mr. Sawh noted that the certification initiative will also “send a message quickly that Guyana is complying with world prerequisites for sustainable forestry”.
This will, in addition, signal that Guyana’s “national patrimony is being used wisely”, he offered.
Another significant step forward is the community approach to forestry being adopted under which communities are given access to forestry lands for their management, Mr. Singh said.
WWF is a major partner in the worldwide conservation movement and its backing of sustainable forestry practices here is a step that would be welcomed by all stakeholders.