The Guyana Government is currently reviewing proposals on reforestation of 6000 acres of mined out lands, an activity that had its genesis after the removal of large swathes of mangroves earlier this year.
As government aims to reforest mined out lands across the country, international companies have submitted proposals to it, which Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said are currently being perused before an agreement is reached.
“…We already have a couple of proposals from French companies and others to look at the mined out areas to plant trees – reforest those areas…”, Jagdeo, who has responsibility for government’s environmental policies in the Office of the President told Stabroek News in a recent interview. Expanding on this development, the VP said further discussions will have to take place on areas such as benefit sharing and community impacts. “We would have to have a discussion… Because if they come and plant the trees, they cannot take all of the (carbon) credits, they must share a bit of it with the country” and the indigenous communities would also have to be considered, he explained.
Jagdeo at a press conference in May announced that Guyana is looking to reforest 6000 acres of mined out lands in a bid to further reduce and cushion the country’s carbon footprint. His announcement back in May was made on the heels of the removal of a large swathe of mangroves by Tri-star Inc, a developer of a shore base facility to cater to the oil and gas sector. Jagdeo had said that the reforestation drive will be funded under the Guyana Forestry Commission to offset the impact of developments. “Mitigating action will be taken. If you remove mangroves from there you can plant it somewhere else along the coast as well as in the Ituni and Kwakwani areas so there will be carbon credits,” the VP underscored before he pointed out that such measures establish a balance between development and environment.
With significant development scheduled to occur within the next five to ten years, government is required to implement mitigating measures for carbon sequestration.
