The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) recently held a regional workshop to focus on strategies to mitigate threats from illegal gold mining in the Protected Areas of the Guianas.
The PAC in a release stated that with the assistance of local and international support, it will continue to enhance its skills and capabilities to manage Guyana’s protected areas with its current focus placed on mining in protected areas.
The workshop was held in French Guiana from Wednesday 12th February to Friday 14th February and attended by technical personnel from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Its aim was to improve the management of protected areas through the sharing of best practices and experiences between stakeholders and communities on strategies to address illegal mining in Protected Areas of the Guianas.
This is the third regional workshop organised under the RENFORSAP (“Strengthening the Network of Protected Areas in the Guiana Shield and their contributions to sustainable development in respect of local cultures, values and lifestyles”) Project. This project is a multi-stakeholder and transnational approach amongst protected-area managers of French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana.
PAC Commissioner, Denise Fraser, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Commission, a partner in the project. She spoke of the international significance of the Guiana Shield, its geology, and biological and cultural diversity and noted that the workshop brought together a range of persons working in the field with different experiences, strategies, and lessons learnt that could contribute towards developing more effective ways to deal with illegal gold mining in the Protected Areas of the three Guianas. She urged the participants to take part and expect rich and fruitful discussions in the workshop.
At the three-day workshop, the PAC was also represented by Chairperson Raquel Thomas-Caesar who additionally represented the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. Further, the team from Guyana included not only the PAC but representatives from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Corps of Wardens, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Natural Resources, and Conservation International-Guyana.
The completion of the workshop saw the beginning of a synthesis on strategies against the threats from illegal gold mining in the protected areas of the Guianas and the identification of potential opportunities for cooperation, the release added.
