Guyana will soon see a corps of wardens operating within the natural resources sector performing such diverse tasks as supporting compliance, enforcing policy and performing emergency rescue and disaster recovery.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon told a post-cabinet press briefing on Thursday that Cabinet has approved a request by Minister of Natural Resource Raphael Trotman for the establishment of this support body.
Minister Trotman reportedly told Cabinet that within the expanding extractive sectors a number of illegal activities and non-compliance had become so embedded that a near collapse of rule of law had resulted.
This collapse, Cabinet was told, was threatening Guyana’s compliance with a number of environmental regulations and protocols hence the necessary and urgent need for a robust compliance programme across the extractive industries sector.
The wardens who will all receive police training will be expected to address non-compliance with mining related environmental regulations; provide institutional capacity to enable enforcement of the various regulatory frameworks; coordinate action against illegal mining, drug trafficking, deforestation and trafficking in persons. They are also expected to monitor increased turbidity levels in creeks and streams and damage to river channels and ground water sources as well as to monitor improper chemical waste management while also being expected to be an emergency rescue and disaster recovery unit within natural resources sector.
Asked what will be the relationship between the warden and the existing mines officers Harmon explained that the wardens will be a “support of what is already there.”
He also noted that these officers will all receive a standardized training inclusive of police training before being offered specialized training so that they could better function in the area they are assigned.
“… For example, [those working with] the GGMC, the corps of wardens will have specific training in matters relating to gold matters, relating to the use of chemicals in the hinterland and things of that nature.
The wardens that will have to deal with forestry, will have specialised training in that area,” Harmon explained.
Harmon said the services provided by these wardens will benefit the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana Forestry Commis-sion, the Guyana Gold Board, Environment Pro-tection Agency, the Protected Areas Commis-sion, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and the Guyana Wildlife Management Authority.
