The National Assembly on July 7 passed the Protected Areas Bill No 11 of 2011 with few amendments proposed by the opposition.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who had tabled the bill, told the House that the bill is aimed at proving to the world that Guyana’s eyes are focused on sustainable development. He noted that the piece of legislation is being tabled at a time when “globally, there is renewed focus on the theme of sustainable development”.
He said that, given the impact of climate change on the environment, “we should place increased and heightened emphasis in terms of how we utilise and manage our natural resources, but moreso the areas in which we possess and do have rich bio- diversity.”
The agriculture minister noted that: “Without a healthy eco-system, there cannot be a lasting and sustained economic and social development. So if we were to ignore the need, or policies and action to preserve a healthy ecosystem not only here in Guyana, but also across the world, we would be in fact endangering our long-term economic and social development.”
He stressed that protected areas have been proven to contribute positively to economies the world over, and it will be no different here. “It has been established that there is a direct correlation between protected areas and poverty reduction. It (the bill) will not prevent those communities from engaging in certain types of economic activities. It (the bill) will not, as it were, prevent those communities from enjoying resources,” Persaud stated.
Protected areas are geographically defined areas that are managed for conservational biodiversity through which the eco-system is maintained.
“At the international level, there is a lot of emphasis being placed on the creation and establishment of biodiversity as against the context of sustainable management of our ecosystem – deep forests, savannahs, and wetlands,” the minister noted.
The agriculture minister assured the National Assembly that the passage of the bill would not see any conflicts occurring. He said protected areas are created not only for the protection of rare and endemic species, but also to protect archaeological, cultural, and sacred sites. “It is wider than what the REDD + Strategy is focusing on … our REDD+ Strategy is distinct from the protected areas,” he said.
He noted that while the REDD + Initiative and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) can be deemed alternative development strategies that bring payment for eco-systems’ services in lieu of rampant and unchecked exploitation of resources, they also allow the continuance of mining, agriculture and forestry activities in the identified areas, but all are done under a strict land use framework.
On the contrary, those areas declared protected areas are established with the primary focus being placed on conservation.
“The two are complementary… they will co-exist and bring incremental benefits to all Guyanese,” he noted. He said that with the passage of the bill, “Immediately we would have reached 8.5 per cent on the land area of the protected areas. Certainly, we are very close to that objective and target as defined in the convention on biodiversity.” The agriculture minister also believes that the legislation “fits in and supports” efforts made by Guyana relative to climate change talks globally.
However, PNCR Parliamentarian Mervyn Williams, who had proposed several amendments to the bill, stated that the legislation was prima facie “innocuous”, as he believes it sought to hide a number of areas that needed expansion. “Mr Speaker, I would like the Honourable Minister … to tell the National Assembly, and indeed the nation, whether this bill is not in fact a mechanism for the implementation of government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS),” he stated.
He suggested that, since the bill lacks clarity in some areas, it be sent to a special select committee.
He believes that government may use the bill to fast-track the receipt of monies allocated through the Norway funds.
Presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan of the Alliance For Change (AFC) concurred with Williams.
The AFC, like the PNCR, supported the bill but proffered arguments that they believed needed to be addressed.
The Protected Areas Bill establishes a Protected Areas Commission that would be governed by a board of directors. It will provide protection to the national protected areas system, namely the Kaieteur National Park, the Programme Site of Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, national protected areas, Amerindian protected areas, and privately managed protected areas. The bill also establishes a Protected Areas Trust that would be governed by a board of trustees.
