€3M conservation fund launched

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and other donor agencies, on Monday, February 13, launched the “Guiana Shield Facility” (GSF) at the Promenade Gardens.

The project financed by the EU and the government of the Netherlands to the tune of three million euros is aimed at ensuring the operation of a long-term funding facility for the conservation and sustainable development of the Guiana Shield eco-region which is designed to enable the six countries of the shield – Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela – and their local communities to benefit from their natural resources.

The project is founded on the outputs of the Guiana Shield Initiative and the Guiana Shield conservation priority setting workshops.

The EU has contributed some 1.6 million euros for the 2010-2011 initial phase, while its contribution for the 2012- 2014 final phase of the project is some 1.5 million euros, compliments of the Netherlands government.

The UNDP is the implementing agency for the facility.

GSF Chief Technical Advisor Patrick Chesney said the facility “is an idea whose time has come”, as it is very important to the preservation of the eco-region.

According to Chesney, the Guiana Shield region is of great importance in the global battle against climate change. The region contains 10-15 per cent of the world’s freshwater reserves and an extremely rich diversity of plants and animals, most of which are unique to this region. That aside, it is home to indigenous communities, whose knowledge and skills are indispensable for proper conservation of the region and great assets to the world.

The issue of financial sustainability is also a key asset for the project, Chesney stated as he called for proposals for grant funding. “We have an important mechanism through which funds could flow from developed countries, from the international community, to the developing countries to build capacity to help achieve the national priorities, particularly those that are related to the development aspirations of the countries and the reporting requirements under multilateral environment agreements,” he said.

Full support

In the meantime, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said the GSF project provides a good approach for the payment of eco-services and Guyana stands fully behind the project. “Our recent experience at the international community level sometimes has not been too encouraging, but certainly having this type of arrangement here would prove the wisdom and certainly will serve the type of approaches that we hope to develop resulting from this type of facility,” he said at the launch.

Persaud was at the time referring to the Norway deal with Guyana by which the country is to benefit from a maximum of US$ 250 million under a five-year biodiversity deal. Since the deal was finalised Guyana has not been able to access the money being held by the World Bank. Other issues, the minister said, will be dealt with through the GSF project. Specific mention was made of illegal mining.

UNDP’s acting country representative, Chisa Mikami said the launch of the GSF is “an important event”. She noted that the GSF is a marked donor funding facility set up by the EU and the UNDP for the conservation and sustainable development of the Guiana Shield. Mikami added that UNDP Guyana is a “direct implementation mechanism for GSF, which utilises a coherent, fiduciary framework to channel the contributions from donors, development agencies, government, and civil society for the protection of the Guiana Shield”. This will be done over the next three years, the UNDP representative said.

“For the latter, access to funding will be through direct participation in government- proposed projects … or a call for proposals. Today, I wish to inform you of the GSF call for proposals for those countries that wish to use it. Grants will be awarded to those winning proposals that are aligned with the national priorities of those participating countries,” Mikami explained.

The project will conclude in 2014.

Head of the EU’s delegation Robert Kopecky said the EU has the political and financial responsibility for over 11 per cent of the world’s development assistance currently, compared to five per cent in 1985. The money contributed by the EU to the projects proves the importance that Europe places on protecting biodiversity in the South American region, Kopecky said.

He added that collaboration between countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Suriname could serve to reinforce integration on environmental issues in the region.

The Guiana Shield region covers 2.5 million square kilometres. It extends from Colombia in the west to the Brazilian state of Amapá in the east, including the Venezuelan states of Delta Amacuro, Bolívar and Amazonas, all of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and continuing into the Brazilian states of Pará, Roraima, and Amazonas.

The countries formally endorsing the GSF so far are Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Suriname, while work is underway to bring Venezuela and French Guiana onboard.