To offset the long-term loss of natural habitat due to the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydroproject, the government is contemplating developing protected areas around the proposed site and establishing a national trust fund for the management and sustainability of these areas.
Based upon the results of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) update process and incorporating discussions with project stakeholders, one proposal or a combination may be considered “for offsets and/or compensation for the overall loss of Natural Habitat due to the project in the long term,” a document outlining the offset framework for the project said. Among the proposals is to expand the Kaieteur National Park, an existing protected area, to cover the immediate Amaila Falls hydropower site and an area including Marina Falls and/or Art Falls. Another proposal is to establish a protected area around Orinduik Falls to protect the biodiversity of the area and a section of the watershed for the long-term benefit of the people of Guyana. Additionally, there is a proposal for the government and local stakeholders “to determine other major high-value biodiversity areas (eg, Tepius, Shell Beach) that could be considered for long-term protection and if so, provide resources and a management plan to protect some of those areas.”According to the document, “the successful development of these initiatives will require a supportive institutional and financial basis for protected area management” and this is expected to be achieved through various approaches. The institutional and organizational basis for management may arise from new and comprehensive legislation for a national protected area network or from expanding existing protected area legislation. Financing may arise from the establishment of a national trust for protected areas that will ensure sufficient resources are available for the effective management of protected areas in Guyana. This fund may be funded through the Amaila Project which may provide sufficient resources to the envisaged protected area.
The document stated that “establishing protected areas is a socially sensitive process requiring substantial consultations with affected parties.” As such, these preliminary proposals should be considered as the basis for ongoing discussions, the report added.
