A US$8.5 million ($1.7B) Trust to manage Guyana’s protected areas, funded by the German Government and Conservation International was launched on Friday amid assurances that logging, mining and other natural resources industries would not be affected.
“I would like to state clearly that establishing a system of protected areas and pursing the utilization of our natural resources are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary activities. This will not lead to any reduction of mining, forestry or any other extractive activity,” Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Robert Persaud, said at the launching at the Umana Yana.
Financing for the Trust comes from the German Government
