Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said the government will continue to pursue development that is free from environmental destruction.
He made the comment at an environment stakeholders’ workshop at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House), Kingston, Georgetown on Friday.
The forum brought together participants from several state agencies as well as the private sector and was geared towards creating new partnerships for the development and protection of the environment.
Persaud said the government will spare no effort to advance in this regard. “The Natural Resources and Environment Sector has been consistently operating within the ambit of existing national policies and strategies. These include the Low Carbon Development Strategy, the Poverty Reduction Paper, the National Development Strategy and the National Competitiveness Strategy. All of these documents profited from extensive consultations and emphasise the importance of protecting the environment to ensure a long-lasting prosperity for the country’s future generations.”
Minister Persaud also spoke of working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “The Ministry has been collaborating with various NGOs at the international and national levels to effectively carry out its mandate. Collaboration and coordination with international and national environmental stakeholders such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Conservation International is producing unprecedented benefits. There is a renewed focus on striking a balance between natural resources growth and environmental management.”
Comprehensive legislation
The Minister also noted that, “we have one of the more comprehensive legislation in terms of managing the environment” as he made reference to the good work that has been done by the agencies, in terms of creating regulations for the preservation of the natural environment.
He also touched on the United Nations Development Programme, stating that this agency will be directing the Ministry’s actions for the next five years.
The Minister also highlighted that while there are victories, there are also challenges, and the path to overcoming these challenges is through partnerships. “How do we correct those issues in terms of going forward? One is developing the strategic partnerships,” he stated.
The workshop was attended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Presentations were also made on several projects being undertaken by these agencies, including on a progress report on the Urban Parks (Three Parks) Initiative, by PAC Commissioner Damian Fernandes.
He appealed for the private sector to come on board and further support the project.
This appeal was responded to by PSC member Kit Nascimento, who acknowledged that the commission would be happy to be onboard with this transformative initiative and proposed a meeting between the PSC and the commission to further discuss the matter.
