The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) on Saturday opened a new office at 56 Commercial Block, Lethem, Region Nine.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) said that the $60 million office has been established as one of the measures to strengthen the commission’s ability to monitor and carry out conservation activities in the nearby Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA).
It will also lend support to the Konashen Amerindian Protected Area which is primarily community-managed.
Chairman of the PAC Board of Directors, Robert Persaud, said that the commissioning ceremony is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to its people.
“[It is] a reflection of how it is that we can develop partnership at the international level, and partnership at the local level in fulfilling a very important mandate. And that mandate is stipulated and outlined in the Protected Areas Commission Act,” he stated.
“But protected areas are not only about the conservation of biodiversity, flora, and fauna, but it’s also about improving communities. It’s about improving the well-being, improving the lives of our people, particularly local communities and in many instances, indigenous communities.
“This is symbolic, but also a clear demonstration of our government’s commitment that we want to accelerate, facilitate, and ensure from all aspects that we contribute, we facilitate and engineer greater prosperity, greater development, and greater involvement of indigenous communities in our country’s development,” he stated.
Persaud noted that the Environmental Protection Agency and other partners will be able to utilise the building for similar research and conservation efforts.
President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana and PAC Board Member, Omodelle George noted that the establishment of the office is a significant milestone in the work and development of the PAC.
