Government and Con-servation International (CI) on Monday signed a US$700,000 collaborative project on avoided deforestation in recognition of Guyana’s mitigation efforts through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Bank, a German government-owned development bank based in Frankfurt, provided the financial support for the project, titled ‘Avoided Deforestation through Consolidation and Creation of Protected Areas and Carbon Financing Mechanism in the Guianas Region.’
The funds were provided due to Guyana’s role in highlighting the importance of climate change mitigation through the LCDS.
GINA said the project was signed by CI Vice President Lisa Famolare who is tasked with conservation policy and strategy and Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) Com-missioner of Forests James Singh.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud lauded the project as timely and valuable in terms of furthering the initiatives that Guyana has already undertaken in many areas regarding its readiness proposals under the framework of the World Bank. “We were one of the first countries to have our proposal accepted under the World Bank’s Carbon Facility, the memorandum of understanding we have with the Kingdom of Norway and also the wider framework within the Low Carbon Development Strategy,” he said.
Persaud added that society should recognize the advocacy and leadership role the country has been playing in terms of recognizing the values of standing forests and the need for binding incentives in the post-Kyoto framework. “Standing forest must be recognized and I think that is one of the positive and enduring features coming out of the Copenhagen talks as it relates to Guyana and that gives us a sense of reward because of the hard work we have been doing over the last two years in terms of getting the international community to recognize the importance of standing forest and the role tropical forest can play,” he said. The minister said too the project represents the growing international collaboration and support Guyana has been able to attain.
According to Famolare the project is linked to government’s initiative on climate change and REDD and because of its lead role in promoting low deforestation. “I laud the leaders of Guyana on the role they are playing, they are definitely in the position of leadership globally on climate change and I want to congratulate the Government on the Low Carbon Development Strategy,” she said.
Additionally, Famolare said the collaborative programme between CI and government through the GFC is a great initiative and the beginning of a long partnership on climate change mitigation and protected areas development and carbon reserves.