Method
March 21 was International Day of the Forest, 2016. Its thematic focus was “to shine a spotlight on the connections between forests, water systems, and sustainable development”. It is appropriate therefore, that today’s column is devoted to providing additional details on Guyana’s forests, directly related to this theme.
As previously indicated, the information provided comes mainly from the United Nations, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), 2015. From the outset of this presentation, readers have queried me on the methods used by the FAO to arrive at the estimates provided in its FRAs. In an accompanying Note to each Report, the FAO describes the method utilized.
For 2015, the FAO indicated it continues to rely on official submissions by national governments; however, the detailed methods employed have evolved over time. No longer are questionnaires sent to national governments for completion and