Guyana’s success in mining must be highlighted

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,
Guyana has scored well in sustainable mining and it is very noteworthy to grasp the reality here. It is that Guyana fared well even though the country has the largest extractive sector in relation to production and people when compared with Suriname and French Guiana. It really feels good to me that Guyana is on record as having the least impact, among the three countries, on forest degradation and potential for pollution.
Guyana has come a far way indeed. What is important is that the evaluation came from a team of technical experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This is a very august body and is the world’s largest independent conservation organisation, with over five million supporters worldwide working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 1300 conservation and environmental projects. So this commendation must not be taken lightly, but at the same time, it also must not make stakeholders too comfortable and complacent.
Currently, government has started to work in the areas of regulation and innovation, in terms of introducing new technology to ensure that all activities related to the traditional extractive industries are accomplished in a sustainable manner. Such thinking is not exclusive to the mining sector, but spills over to agriculture as well, where there is an ongoing re-examining of the types of techniques used in cultivation, in keeping with its green growth trajectory.
Now, as far as I am seeing it, Guyana is going through a foundational and stabilisation phase. There is a lot in the offing when this platform is solid, but it is important to be patient and consistent.
In the words of the subject minister, once Guyana can deal with the issue of clean, reliable and cheap power, it would then be able to become a contributor to the manufacturing and production of green goods and services. This will no doubt result in significant economic benefits.
Much work is also going on through the Office of the Climate Change and other entities responsible for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Guyana has to find ways to re-invent this strategy and ensure that it is consistent with global realities and responsive to national needs.
It is a tricky balance – the old adage is that one cannot have his cake and eat it. However, that is really what sustainable mining is and what is also the challenge facing the country.

Yours respectfully,
Kenneth Joseph

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