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Guyana eyes forest cash

Posted by CaribShout on November 12, 2009 at 10:24pm

Guyana's ambitious and much-publicised forest protection programme is underway. The first contribution has come from Norway, whose government has pledged at least US$30million and up to $250m by 2015. That's if the Guyana's fight against deforestation leads to a cut in greenhouse gas emissions and to reduced poverty. It's a start but still some way short of President Bharrat Jagdeo's aim for his country to be paid an annual fee of up to $580 million. Mr Jagdeo wants to be given an incentive to keep intact some 37 million acres (15 million hectares) of mostly untouched rainforest - about 80% of the country. His argument is that preserving Guyana's hinterland has been at an economic cost, while other countries have permitted the destruction of trees for logging and other commercial activities. Degradation At the same time he has one eye on the United Nations summit on climate change in Copenhagen in December. Activists want the conference to put the protection of forests at the heart of tackling global warming. One proposed vehicle is Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (Redd) - a system which allows countries that can reduce emissions from deforestation to be paid for doing so. It is being pushed by a group known as the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, including Belize, Guyana, the Dominican Republic and Suriname. President Jagdeo has become one of the chief proponents. He told a conference in New York in May that deforestation caused 17% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. He added: "But less well-known is that sustainable use of forest and agricultural land could deliver 37% of the world's abatement of those gases between now and 2020." Opposition groups Mr Jagdeo said Guyana, one of the poorest nations in the Americas, was willing to become a model forest protection state. "But, the world has to find the right way to include forestry within a broader climate agreement." One of the stumbling blocks is how to measure carbon in a forest. Guyana's cash figures were drawn up by an international firm but so far a measurement consensus has proved elusive. Poor countries would also have to be persuaded that they would not give up sovereignty when they agree to set aside forests for conservation - an issue that has been raised by opposition groups in Guyana. Another concern is over possible corruption in the use of funds. Mr Jagdeo acknowledged that rich countries have to be persuaded that the payments they make to poor ones would be used transparently. Guyana map

The Amazon region runs through Guyana The proposals suggest that countries would only be paid if they can prove "monitorable, reportable and verifiable" emissions reductions. Norway has set down some what local media call "stringent conditions" before any money is disbursed. 'Positive incentives' Mr Jagdeo has listed a range or projects that could be financed in Guyana from Redd funding - including sea defence systems, hydropower plants, and education and health improvements. Guyana's neighbour, Suriname, is another High Forest Cover and Low Deforestation Country (HFLD) that endorses Redd. It has a current forest cover of even more than Guyana - of over 90%. "Suriname will continue to undertake efforts to manage its forests sustainably," Vice President Ramdien Sardjoe told the UN general assembly in September. rainforest

Visitors remark at the stunning beauty of Guyana's forested interior "Through this we aim to keep and improve the climate stabilizing value of our standing forest. We attach great importance to the inclusion of a nature forest carbon mitigation regime that provides positive incentives to HFLD countries." Such nations will hope that others will follow the lead of Norway. Last year, the Norwegians promised Brazil $1billion by 2015 to protect the Amazon rainforest under a similar agreement to Guyana's. It has other forest preservation projects in the Congo basin and Tanzania. "Saving the world's remaining tropical forests is a crucial element in the battle against climate change," said Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim.
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