The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Wednesday inked a $3M agreement to sensitise miners and their communities about the effects of mining on the environment.
At a grant signing ceremony, WWF’s Regional Gold Mining Pollution Abatement Officer Rickford Vieira informed that the money—$ 2.4 from the WWF and the remaining $600,000 from the GGDMA—will be used to carry out sensitisation sustainability programmes for residents of Potaro, Mazuruni, Cuyuni, Tamakay, Omai, Bartica, Port Kaituma, Aranka and Puruni.
Vieira also stated that coastal villages such as Mocha Arcadia and Ann’s Grove along with the Region 10 communities of Wismar and Mabura would also be targeted, since recent research has found that a large percentage of miners come from those areas. Said Vieira, “We decided to come together and do a project proposal that will have outreaches throughout the areas where we feel that the impact could be felt.” He added, “There are a lot of miners in the interior that live in those communities, so we think it is wise for the families and other persons to get some knowledge about what they are doing and what they can do to improve what they are doing.”
With thousands of jobs directly or indirectly created from gold mining activities, the sector is one of the few thriving in the current global recession. In addition, mining also provides funds for Amerindian communities in the form of royalties.
Vieira said that with the recent gold rush here, there has been an influx of many new persons into the interior. The trend creates many environmental risks, such as sedimentation of streams due to inadequate tailings management, health issues and environmental abuse, he explained. As a result, areas to be addressed during the six week sensitisation period will include control of mercury and reduction of siltation of waterways as well as occupational health and safety practices.
Colin Sparman, the GGDMA’s representative, stated that while the organisation will be tasked with the responsibility of undertaking the sensitisation exercise, it will also engage leaders of the Amerindian villages to assist. He added that PowerPoint presentations, television programmes, posters and one-on-one interactions with miners will be used to carry out the education and awareness programme.
He noted that WWF Guianas had already funded similar projects, beginning in 2008 and the sensitisation programme was just a microcosm of WWF and GGDMA’s sustainability plans.
