Recent drama
The recent drama surrounding the forestry sector in Guyana is likely to rekindle interest in the effect that exploitation of the natural resources can have on the country. Apart from unease about the seemingly reckless handling of the forests, there are concerns about the secretive way in which contracts are negotiated and apprehensions about revenue flows and their benefits to Guyanese as a whole. Guyana would also have to think about the risks of relying too much on natural resources for its progress given the resurgence that many natural resources have had in recent years. There is a plethora of thoughts on the problems and their solutions. This article however will comment on some of the implications that the development of the natural resources of Guyana could have on the economy.
Importance of natural resources
Even without the knowledge of science, it is not difficult to figure out what natural resources are when one speaks of them. Saying that it is everything built by nature and not by man would not be inaccurate. Natural resources therefore include land and everything on it, below it, above it and around it that came without the input of humans. The relevance of natural resources however comes from the use that is made of them. From the study and understanding of their properties and physical structure, humans have been able to ignore many that qualify as natural resources. They also discriminate among them selecting those which could be of service to their survival and comfort. In that sense, the importance of natural resources is determined by the needs and desires of consumers or producers, and the resources that matter are