Dear Editor,
I am very pleased to read (in SN reports over the last several days) that Norway has fulfilled its commitment to provide significant amounts of money (up to US $250 million by 2015) for the preservation of our forests as part of President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). I think Norway will also provide aid to other countries that commit to LCDS. There were many doubters in your letters column on whether Guyana would be a recipient of LCDS funds. I took the opposite position (in a SN letter in September) indicating that I expected Guyana to receive large amounts of funds for LCDS although I did not feel it would amount to US$500 million annually as some on the government side were projecting. Norway is only one country that has made a commitment to Guyana for LCDS. I expect the other Nordic or Scandinavian countries to also soon commit money to Guyana for preservation of the forests. It is hoped the other developed countries of Europe and North America would also chip in with aid to help Guyana in its LCDS.
I travelled to Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden last August and found strong support among many people interviewed (not a NACTA survey) for funding among the population for forest preservation in Third World countries.
People felt sustaining the forest is an important way not to alter climate patterns (rising temperature) and preserve clean air.
When I was in Norway in late August during the country’s election campaign, I interviewed people about their views for a government commitment to funding the preservation of forests in poor countries. There was overwhelming approval for forest preservation as a means to protecting the environment. The incumbent Labour Party wisely campaigned on protection of the environment. And it paid off in the election results. The Labour Party pulled off a stunning victory that surprised its opponents who had expected to oust the incumbents. Polls had predicted a dead heat, but Labour edged out the right-wing coalition that campaigned on an anti-immigration and a closed society platform. The Prime Minister, Mr Jens Stoltenberg, who had campaigned on the preservation of the welfare state, during his victory speech, made reference to the fears of climate change and committed his government to setting aside money to help poor countries pursue sustainable development in forested areas.
Norway has huge monetary reserves (about US$450 billion surplus) from its energy wealth and the government has decided to use some of it to help poor countries as it has been doing for decades as well as to fund its generous welfare state. The country gave huge amounts of aid to African countries and Sri Lanka and Palestine when it was involved in the peace process to end wars. Now aid is being prioritized for countries committed to protecting the environment because Norway recognizes climate change has proved to be an enormous danger to humanity. Hence the $250 million commitment to Guyana to protect the forest. Thanks Norway! It is hoped proper use will be made of the funds. But we need more aid from other countries for LCDS to work effectively.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
