President Irfaan Ali yesterday signed an agreement with the European Union (EU) for the implementation of a $1.1 billion grant that aims to sustainably develop forest-dependent communities in Guyana.
The four-year grant will be implemented by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas. According to visiting Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, Helena König, the main objective of the grant is to maintain healthy forests and natural resources in Guyana by strengthening institutional capacity for effective forest monitoring, and developing livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Suriname is also a recipient of a similar grant with the same objective.