Latest update May 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 16, 2022 News
==The Social Edge==
By Kiana Wilburg
Kaieteur News – While the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) sets out a clear pathway for how Guyana will utilise its oil resources to ensure economic development and the transition to cleaner energy sources, it also speaks about the protection and monetisation of our forests which is also referred to as our ‘green gold’.
In fact, this comprehensive document outlines plans to continue advancing Guyana’s payment for forest climate services model while investing new revenues in its low carbon economy. It also expands on the country’s vision to include Guyana’s other globally significant ecosystem services.
Towards that goal, LCDS states that Guyana is now working to create an ecosystem economy that achieves the right balance between potentially competing developmental models.
The strategy states that this is one of the core challenges faced by the country, and to meet it, in the coming years, Guyana will advance: low-impact mining and forestry to enhance employment and income generation opportunities, forest climate services through which the value provided by Guyana’s forests to the world is recognise, and the advancement of Guyana’s next generation of ecosystem services such as water management, and biodiversity protection.
Further, as part of this vision, The Social Edge understands that Guyana’s Protected Areas will be expanded, partners will be sought for the creation of an ‘International Centre for Biodiversity Research’, and a sustainable ‘Ocean Economy’ will be nurtured to ensure high-quality, long-term management of the country’s rich ocean resources.
The strategy also states that Government will prioritise the expansion and restoration of Guyana’s mangrove forests and ecosystems. For those who may not be aware, mangroves provide several important services to Guyana that range from the protection of the country’s coastal plain, to supporting biodiversity habitats, to the provision of livelihoods to communities.
Coastal ecosystems, specifically mangroves, provide an important function in sequestering significant amounts of carbon, and are therefore designated ‘Blue Carbon’. Treasured for their ability to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, mangroves are known for storing as much as four times the carbon of an equal area of inland rainforest and most of it is in the soil, held fast by their roots.
At a global level, despite covering 0.7% of total land area, mangrove deforestation accounts for an estimated 10% of emissions globally. It is estimated that mangroves are worth at least US$1.6 billion annually in ecosystem services too. The LCDS notes that Blue Carbon ecosystems are therefore an important resource to be protected, expanded and/or restored.
Importantly, Guyana has made significant strides in the protection of mangroves through its Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project. This project allowed for the establishment of national administrative capacity to manage mangroves in Guyana and focused efforts on mangrove restoration, community-based mangrove management as well as public awareness. Guyana is expected to intensify efforts at mangrove restoration and management in coming years. In fact, the LCDS seeks to further explore Blue Carbon potential in Guyana, focusing on Guyana’s mangroves in the initial stages. The expansion and restoration of mangrove forests in Guyana is the intended outcome.
In addition to the foregoing efforts, the LCDS commits the Government to advance efforts to maintain intact forests, protect biodiversity corridors. The Social Edge understands that Guyana has been reporting on Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL) since 2010. This is integral to Guyana’s reporting on forest change and biodiversity protection, stemming from the concept that degradation of intact forests through human activities will produce a net loss of carbon and is often the precursor to further processes causing long-term decreases in carbon stocks. Furthermore, preserving intact forests critical as it will contribute to the protection of biodiversity. IFL therefore continues to be an area that is underscored for its broader alignment to non-carbon aspects of ecosystem services and for this reason, it is a central area of the LCDS.
On the matter of deforestation, Guyana’s statistics show that it is among the world’s lowest, since a significant portion of the deforestation that does take place results from forest clearing for mining that does not generate a profit. For those who may not be aware, low-impact mining refers to mining practices that limit impact on the environment by employing feasible technology, implementing effective planning, and improving human capacities.
This will enhance employment and income generation opportunities through domestic regulation and linking with global market standards, and at the same time, protect the environment. The Social Edge understands that work has started on Codes of Practice for the Mining Sector as outlined above.
Significantly, the LCDS states that the Government will prioritise Mineral Mapping. The implementation of this exercise in the mining districts will identify economically exploitable deposits as a means of improving productivity within the mining sector while slowing deforestation. Such prior planning efforts serve to limit areas deforested and advance efforts to reduce road building.
The strategy states that this will significantly reduce deforestation by avoiding the clearing of forest cover from lands which contain only marginal mineral deposits. Furthermore, the information will allow the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to update its geological maps and be better able to use this information to more efficiently identify and plan for extraction of gold or other mineral deposits.
But the work to protect our ‘green gold’ does not stop there. According to the strategy, the Government intends to pursue the implementation of a Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The development of a national forest certification scheme for Guyana is a natural extension of the current Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and REDD+ initiatives, with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) system in particular providing strong linkages with existing Government policies and processes. In supporting the national implementation of Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the strategy states that Guyana will seek to build the capacities of national stakeholders to manage and audit PEFC-certified areas. Guyana will also develop the framework to implement the national process for PEFC. The LCDS Investment Programme is expected to support marketing efforts for boosting local and international trade of certified forestry products.
Improving added-value activities for forest products locally is also listed as a priority in the 2030 strategy. The document states that the expansion of the value chain beyond primary production is integral to minimising the pressure on forest by finding the most suitable and economical use for forest resources.
Additionally, the strategy explains that forest carbon is stored in a more stable state for longer periods of time without being emitted into the atmosphere the further advanced the wood products value change is. This makes wood products from Guyana a standout, sustainably sourced material for a range of application including for building purposes.
LCDS 2030 acknowledges that market research and promotion will be integral to finding the most suitable and economical use for the forest resources. Here again, the LCDS Investment Programme will come into play and focus on the development of technical skills and techniques, supporting technology transfer and enabling more marketing and promotion of local products. Focus will be placed on developing the skills, products and techniques for value-added activities while supporting technology transfer within the sector and developing added value marketing capability to expand the value chain.
Considering the comprehensiveness of the programmes outlined above, Guyana’s ‘green gold’ will no doubt continue to hold its place as the crown jewel within the nation’s chest of natural resources. It will forever remain integral to not just our climate change credentials but also the survival of our current and future generations.
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