Guyana to receive 500, 000 Euros from WWF
Kaieteur News
July 17, 2004
Guyana will be receiving some 500,000 Euros under the Guianas Sustainable Forest Resources Management Project (GSFRMP) for projects that fall under the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
The funding is part of a 1.5 million Euros package from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Dutch Global Environmental Facility, and the French Global Environmental Facility. These three organisations have provided 5.2 million Euros to Guyana over the past three years.
Representing Guyana at the third steering committee meeting of the GSFRMP held in Cayenne recently were acting Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh and Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission, James Singh.
At a press conference yesterday, Singh stated that the money allocated to Guyana is for the fiscal year July, 2004, to June, 2005.
He noted that one major issue in the local forestry sector is that of forest certification.
Consumers overseas are increasingly demanding certified products.
With the newly acquired funding, assistance will be provided to companies seeking independent certification, such as the Barama Company Ltd and Variety Woods and Greenheart Ltd, Singh said.
The Commissioner pointed out that Guyana already has a forest certification programme that should be completed by the end of the year.
He revealed that the third draft of the national standard on forest certification has been sent to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its approval.
Following Guyana’s accreditation to the FSC, some 500,000 hectares of local forests will become certified and Singh said this will improve the contribution of the forestry sector to the GDP, given the increased access to the global market.
A Timber Marketing Council will also be established to provide information on available markets.
The Commissioner said the WWF has placed emphasis on the formation of community forestry groups.
This is being undertaken in Guyana with coordination by WWF and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
Singh said the communities are being assisted with building capacity and working with guidelines to effectively effect and monitor forestry activities.
It was noted by the Commissioner that GFC has been accused in the past of not doing relevant research to benefit the sector.
Part of the funds will go towards studies on alternative uses of waste matter from forestry activities, he said.
Two other areas which would benefit from the funding are training at the University of Guyana and the National Protected Areas System.
Funding from WWF will be provided for employees in the sector to attend the Forestry Training Centre at UG for studies in reduced impact logging.
And the EPA will be assisted in establishing protected areas at Shell Beach and Mt Roraima.
In the mining sector, pollution abatement will get a boost with the refining of the protocol in the use of the retort.
The model of the retort that is being crafted in Guyana will be the prototype of those used in the mining sectors in Suriname and French Guiana and Guyana.