Guyana and Argentina have agreed to formalise a project aimed at improving parks and protected areas through technical support and multiple exchange visits after Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud travelled to that country recently to encourage investment here.
According to a statement from the ministry, the visit was also aimed broadening technical exchange programmes and encouraging investment from South American neighbours.
Facilitated through a Cooperation Agreement between the Guyana and Argentine governments, the mission focused primarily on benefiting from Argentina’s significant knowledge and experience in protected areas and natural resources management.
The team, which included the Commissioner and a Senior Technical Officer from the Protected Areas Commission, met with a number of technical agencies, including Argentina’s National Parks Service, ministries of Tourism, Environment and Sustainable Development, Mining, and Foreign Affairs. The exchange visit component of the project is expected to start soon.
The team also visited the Iguazu Falls National Park and the Biopark Temaiken to assess and identify options for development and improved management of the Kaieteur National Park, the Zoological Park and the Botanical Gardens. “Significant progress was made in identifying potential support to Guyana’s efforts at improved mining practices and geological assessments,” the ministry said.
The Protected Areas System in Argentina comprises over 30 protected areas and has been in existence since 1934. The Argentine Administration of Parks “is well-advanced, and has a wealth of experience in the establishment and management of protected areas,” the ministry said. It is therefore envisioned that through this partnership, the two countries will be able to exchange knowledge and experiences of protected areas and ultimately improve the management of Guyana’s newly created National Protected Areas System.
