Guyana ready for next stage implementation, Jagdeo says

After almost one year of review and consultations, government has launched the third draft of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) doubling its efforts to forge a new low-carbon effort over the coming decade.

During a briefing with stakeholders at the Umana Yana in Kingston yesterday, President Bharrat Jagdeo stated that after the disappointment of the Copenhagen summit last December, it would have been easy to turn away from playing a role in combating climate change “and let others play that role”, but, according to him, “that is not the Guyana way of doing things”.

He expressed hope that this week when he visits Norway, Guyana’s biggest single effort in its climate change efforts will bear fruit with the anticipated establishment of an interim REDD+ partnership from which some US$5 billion to be expended over the next three years on climate change initiatives is expected.

He said that based on Guyana’s performance in 2009, the country is ready to move to the next stage of implementation of the LCDS as set out by the revised document which identifies eight priorities that will be the initial focus of LCDS implementation in 2010/11.

The document also gives an outline of the priorities for the period 2012/2015 and it sets out the framework for further consultation and strategy development for low carbon initiatives.

Among the priorities for the initial implementation of the strategy is the supply of equity in the Amaila Falls hydropower project, an investment which the President insisted will provide benefits.

He stated that the total cost of the project will be $450 million as opposed to a $600 million figure, which he noted had appeared in sections of the media recently. He said the actual cost of the project is $306 million; transmission lines cost $145 million while $165 million will be set aside to pay initial interest cost. Completion of the hydropower project and transmission lines is scheduled to take 40 months with commercial operation date tentatively scheduled for October 1, 2014.

Another priority which the revised strategy will zoom in on is the processing of land titles in Amerindian communities and according to the Head of State, some US$6 million will be expended on this initiative by 2015.
The venture will address those villages with current outstanding requests, and will also communicate the processes for demarcation and titling of villages that have not yet chosen to do so.

In addition some $8 million will be set aside within the next two years for Amerindian development, and according to the President, the initiative will allow communities to access grants for priority projects.
Small and micro-enterprise (SME) development in low carbon sectors and the creation of alternative livelihoods for vulnerable groups will also be given priority within the next few years.

Forest payments will be invested to support the creation of new low-carbon economic opportunities in the form of grants, a mutual guarantee fund, skills development and capacity building in agencies responsible for SME development and vulnerable groups.

Guyana will seek to partner with national and international educational, research and commercial establishments to set up an international centre dedicated to researching Guyana’s biodiversity. Requests for proposals for the venture will be developed and issued this year.

President Jagdeo said yesterday that the projects will be made available to the National Assembly for scrutiny and consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the populace will continue.