Guyana and the Wider World

Introduction My recent columns have argued that, despite a relatively rich forest resource endowment, and relatedly a very high standing in the world of forests, Guyana has had historically one of the world’s lowest deforestation rates.

Dilemma Last week’s column revealed what is perhaps a crucial dilemma facing Guyana’s forests.

On-going series The recent media release by ExxonMobil to the effect that the findings of its second offshore well (Liza 2) appear to confirm the substantial size of Guyana’s potential oil and gas reserve, presents me with a welcome opportunity to remind readers that my recent columns on Guyana’s extractive forest sub-sector are directly linked to an ongoing series dedicated to evaluate Guyana’s future as an intensive natural resources extraction-dependent economy, in the coming time of large-scale oil and gas production and export.

Erratic Last week’s column highlighted what I consider to be a most distinctive feature of the extractive forest sub-sector’s performance in Guyana’s economy, during the past decade.

Introduction At present, several prominent geographers and forest analysts give strong support to the forest transition hypothesis, which I have been evaluating in recent weeks.

Hypothesized relationship A pressing question that arises from last week’s brief introduction to the forest transition hypothesis is whether it offers useful guidance as regards future trends in Guyana’s extractive forest sector.

Introduction Today’s column reflects on a well-known hypothesis (forest transition theory), developed in research on the dynamics of forests in human societies.

Economic growth and net forest loss This week’s column continues with the exploration of the relationship between, on the one hand, Guyana’s population and real national income growth, and, on the other, its rate of net forest loss/deforestation, over similar long-term periods, (that is roughly from the early 1960s to the early 2000s).

Introduction Last week’s column identified ten leading considerations which are responsible for the high standing of Guyana in the world of forests.

Introduction Last week I indicated that, for a small nation, Guyana has exhibited exemplary ambition in the development of its responses to worldwide environmental challenges, in the face of global warming and climate change.

Resolute action Between Earth Day 2016 and Earth Day 2017, 55 national instruments of ratification will have to be submitted to the Paris Agreement before it comes into operation.

Earth Day 2016 Signing ceremony As indicated last week, Guyana, together with 174 other nations, have all reportedly signed on to the Paris Agreement, finally negotiated last December (2015).

The “price of carbon” proxy Last week’s column introduced estimates of the carbon stock in Guyana’s forests.

McKinsey Report: LCDS          Last week’s column addressed aspects of Guyana’s “high forest cover – low deforestation status”.

The MDGs and the Forest agenda Last week’s column addressed the burning question: “Is the global community driving the domestic agenda for Guyana’s forests?”

Although in my ongoing presentation of these articles on Guyana’s forests it has not been so far singled out for attention, it should be clear from last week’s contribution that the international forest agenda is directly driving much of the agenda items framing Guyana’s forests and land use policies, as the country goes forward.

Method March 21 was International Day of the Forest, 2016. Its thematic focus was “to shine a spotlight on the connections between forests, water systems, and sustainable development”.

Today’s column concludes the ongoing presentation of background information on the global forest environment.

Introduction As indicated, the coming presentations on the forest sub-sector (a strategic segment of the non-mineral extractive sector) utilize the FAO’s definition of the forest.

Forest definition As pointed out last week, today’s column starts an assessment of Guyana’s non-mineral extractive sector.