Georgetown: A Project document between the Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was signed recently for the mainstreaming biodiversity practices in Guyana’s gold-mining sector.
The document was signed by Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Joslyn Mackenzie and Guyana’s UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Khadija Musa.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, who witnessed the signing, pointed out that the agreement reiterated the country’s commitment towards biodiversity regulations.
He explained that among the expectations is to integrate biodiversity in the mining school programme to help miners understand the regulatory framework and what is required of them in their day-to-day activities.
The Minister stated that Government continues to be concerned about the impact of mining on biodiversity and has taken note and has been acting accordingly to minimise the harm posed.
He pointed out also that while Government seeks to protect the country’s biodiversity, it must also ensure that mining activities are not reduced in the process, recognising that mining remains one of the drivers of deforestation.
The US$803,653 agreement is a three-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility and collaborates with Guyana’s work towards the formulation of a similar project for the mining and forestry sectors.
It will receive parallel funding from other agencies, including the Natural Resources Ministry; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
The agreement will enable the monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulations and codes of practice. It will also enhance the capacity of mining and miners so that activities will be favourable to biodiversity, while at the same time, strengthen the EPA’s role in oversight of mining practices and increased satellite tracking, among others. It will as well, help to ensure that Guyana honours its international commitments.
Musa said it was important that not only Guyana, but all other countries where there are mining activities, ensure that biodiversity is not destroyed in the process.
She expressed the hope that Guyana would take advantage of the new technology which exists and says work will continue to ensure that biodiversity is protected.
“The sad reality is that if we don’t protect it now, when we are finished mining we will be left with nothing,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie pointed out that signing the agreement marks a significant milestone as part of the Ministry’s strategic priorities. He noted that work with the UNDP saw the completion of a strategic plan of which one of the mainstreams is biodiversity in the mining sector. Work had been ongoing with the UNDP to have the project finalised which saw its final approval at the global environment facility,
Further, Dr Indarjit Ramdass, head of the EPA, supports the project which would help in the monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulations and codes of practice.
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