Guyana has experienced the bulk of the region’s negative environmental impacts from mining but is not enjoying the benefits, according to a study led by the French Forestry Agency (ONF).
According to the study, ‘Monitoring the Impact of Gold Mining on the Forest Cover and Freshwater in the Guiana Shield,’ Guyana has experienced the bulk of the region’s negative environmental impacts from mining with 50% of the total deforestation, versus 34% in Suriname, 15% in French Guiana and 1% in Amapá, Brazil.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) provided financial support for the project, and in a statement, the WWF Guianas-Guyana office pointed out that Guyana’s gold declarations in 2011 were 373,313 ounces while in Suriname, despite the