Georgetown : The Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) hosted an inception workshop today, with key stakeholders to introduce the UN’s Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme (LDNTSP) at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown.
The LDNTSP process provides opportunities for good environmental stewardship and drives the transition to a green economy, Minister of State Joseph Harmon stated in his feature address during the opening of the workshop.
The Minister noted that while Guyana is not one of the countries where desertification is a critical issue, the government is keenly aware of the need to combat the phenomenon and all other forms of land degradation.
“We have to adopt a proactive programme instead of a treatment approach. Our small population relative to land space and the concentration of our population on our narrow coastal lands afford us a unique opportunity to pursue land management and development including land degradation neutrality in ways that will ensure sustainability of our resources,” Minister Harmon said.
The workshop focused on three areas: introducing the UNCCD’s LDNTSP, providing opportunity for the participants to review the purpose, goals methodologies and timeliness for the national LDNTSP, ensuring the cooperation of stakeholders’ concerns before final implementation and to build support for the national LDNTSP and subsequent implementation.
Land degradation, a global phenomenon, leads to the reduction and loss of biological and economic productive capacity of lands. It is caused by human activities and exacerbated by natural processes, and in some cases, magnified by climate change and biodiversity loss.
Minister Harmon noted that Guyana’s proactive measures are part of fulfilling its international commitment to a healthy global environment while pursuing a green agenda and economy. “For our people in this regard, sustainable land management and development including issues relating to land degradation are of vital importance,” the Minister said.
The Minister added that today’s workshop was another important step in the support of the establishment of the green agenda and economy.
Stakeholders at the workshop were briefed by the former National Focal Point for the UNCCD of Grenada and the Coordinator for Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) Raymond Baptiste.
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