The government has discussed with the German State Agency (KFW) the establishment of a protected areas system during a KFW mission here, according to Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon.
Dr Luncheon gave the details of the mission at a post Cabinet briefing at the Office of the President on Thursday.
A GINA release on Thursday quoted Dr Luncheon as saying that KFW will be working closely with government and stakeholders to develop an action plan that captures inputs from stakeholders on an ideal and comprehensive approach to establishing the Protected Areas System.
In 2002, the government and CI signed an agreement acknowledging the organization’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and its role in promoting the establishment of a National Protected Areas System.
Under the agreement, the government decided to involve CI in the development and review of policies, programmes and projects for conservation of biological diversity. In particular, national plans for the establishment of a National Protected Areas System.
During the KFW mission, CI received government’s support for its delimitation exercise of a Protected Area in the Kanuku. Similar attention, Dr Luncheon said, is planned for Shell Beach and the Kaieteur National Park.
“However, the bigger picture will see finalization of the framework of laws, procedures and practices that would pronounce on all aspects of the establishment of a Protected Area System in Guyana,” the release said.
In 1999, CI was appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead the process of establishing a proposed protected area in the vicinity of the Kanuku Mountains in southern Guyana. Apart from the Kanuku project, CI has been awarded a State Forest Exploratory Permit, the primary stage of a Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) for a total of 200,000 acres of pristine tropical rainforest in Guyana’s southern region.
CI’s global mission is to conserve the earth’s living heritage, global biodiversity and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.
