Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud met with Lethem and St. Ignatius residents to address issues pertaining to forestry, mining, land extension, and the environment.
The outreach exercise is part of the ministry’s efforts to improve the quality of extension services offered by agencies within the natural resources sector, the Govern-ment Information Agency said.
“We want to touch all the communities in Region 9… so we are starting here in Lethem and will be heading into the South to cover the entire area because this area is very important because of its wealth of natural resources,” Persaud told residents. He also noted that the ministry aims to enrich lives and livelihoods in these areas through programmes in its many sub-sectors such as forestry, mining, oil and gas, land and the environment.
Persaud said many persons have expressed interest in investing in the region, particularly at Lethem. Several have noted the potential of drilling for oil, large-scale mining and agriculture. “There is renewed interest in the area in terms of mining, oil and gas and large scale farming…so we are looking at all these different facets. It’s our task to ensure that they are managed in a way that they do not affect people’s social and economic status but, also environmental conditions of the region,” he said.
Region Nine also possesses some of the richest biodiversity in Guyana and, he said “when we pursue the various activities be it mining or forestry we must ensure it is done in an environmentally friendly way.” Regarding mining in the Rupununi, Persaud said it boasts some unique features and vulnerable topography that will have to be taken into consideration.
In relation to illegal miners, Persaud said, “the sector will not be a free for all in terms of how we plan to pursue its development …the Ministry will continue to work closely with miners and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that sector is regularised.” He also noted that government will continue to be tough on illegal mining and miners operating in the sector.
In addressing the issue raised by miners about the difficulty of travelling to Georgetown to sell their gold to the Guyana Gold Board, Persaud said that his ministry will be working with the entity to establish an office in the region. In addition, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission will be establishing an office at the cross-border point between Guyana and Brazil to prevent smuggling.
Recently, the ministry met with Bartica’s miners to address issues related to the sustainable harvesting of natural resources. A Community Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (C-MRV) Project involving 16 North Rupununi villages was launched in Annai, on January 27. Monitoring, reporting and verification are key components of Guyana’s Readiness Preparation Proposal to the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. It was implemented so that government could have shown the international community that it was making good on its commitment to developing the environment in a sustainable manner.
