uch
of this book’s emphasis has been placed on the
importance of prosperity for every individual
Guyanese citizen. But prosperity means more than
savings and home ownership. It means abundance in
all things, including physical health, moral
character and a healthy and beautiful environment.
Financial prosperity will mean little if in the
process of attaining it we create an environment of
polluted air, toxic lakes and rivers, and destroy
the magnificent rainforests and savannahs, which are
so vital to the ecological health not only of South
America but of the world. If we attain a better
bank balance at the cost of a healthy environment,
what heritage and legacy are we giving our children?
Fortunately, financial prosperity does not have to
be wrested from the hills and rainforests at their
peril. With forward-looking leadership, with a new
vision of conservation and a fresh spirit of
cooperation, Guyana can restore the environment that
has been damaged and protect that which is still
inviolate, thereby earning the gratitude of future
generations.
All
Guyanese share a common interest in protecting our
natural lands and watersheds. We have seen the
ecological devastation in other countries that has
resulted when short-term benefits have been acquired
at the cost of environmental destruction.
Ecological damage threatens the quality of our air,
leaches the richness of our soil, and kills crops,
animals and fish. We have a responsibility to
ourselves and our children to be stewards of the
earth, to use our environment well—and sometimes not
at all. Our government must be an agent of that
stewardship, setting strict guidelines that prevent
any short-sighted and selfish exploitation of the
environment at the expense of the Guyanese people.
Guyana is blessed with tremendous natural resources:
a vast, pristine rainforest, grasslands teeming with
wildlife, numerous rivers and a wonderful climate.
Yet today the black caiman, the arapaima, the giant
river turtle and the water dog are on the endangered
species list. And our ecosystems are constantly
threatened by uncontrolled gold-mining and logging.
Additionally, Amerindian communities suffer from
pollution of fresh-water systems. Children are being
poisoned by mercury in the land and water. Pits left
by itinerant miners have become stagnant pools that
harbour disease-carrying mosquitoes, resulting in
malaria, dengue and yellow fever.
And
tap water is contaminated everywhere in Guyana,
including Georgetown.
We
must stop this damage and begin to reverse it now.
We
must do so for the most basic of economic reasons.
Even if we ourselves are indifferent to the
well-being of our environment, Guyana will be
interacting with international markets for
commodities such as timber and minerals. These
markets have been “greened,” and as a result will
demand high environmental protection standards as
part of a favourable business environment for
international investments.
But
let us look beyond that and realize that we cannot
escape the effects of depredations of the
environment. These destructive acts do not take
place in “someone else’s backyard,” for all of
Guyana is a whole—all of Guyana is our own
“backyard.” Ecological damage in the interior will
affect those who live on the coast, and vice versa.
We are all living as one in this beautiful but frail
and carefully balanced system of nature.
Therefore, we must take care that what we do only
aids and never harms our country’s ecology—for the
harm that we cause will eventually redound to the
injury of ourselves and our
children.
uyana is blessed
with a wealth of natural resources, and these will
play a central role in Guyana’s economic development
(e.g., agriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining and
wildlife).
Thus, any
sustainable development strategy must combine
environmental, economic and social concerns. Here,
a few of the necessary steps that must be taken to
protect our environment and our populace are listed.
Protecting the
Environment
Guyana’s
environment must be strongly protected. We must see
to it that wildlife and the rainforests are
safeguarded—with special attention paid to the
well-being of Amerindians—and at the same time
reverse the despoliation of the country’s urban
areas. Waste management must be an integral part of
our environmental policy. And overall, the
government must create an environmental code with
stringently enforced penalties for non-compliance.
!
Protect and Maintain the Environment
"
Improve the maintenance of clean air and waterways.
"
Protect wildlife, habitats, country side and
forests.
"
Pay special attention to the preparation and
implementation of policies meant to reverse the
despoliation of the country’s urban areas and
improve their environmental quality
!
Environmental Code
"
Establish an environmental code and enforce strict
penalties.
!
Dealing with Waste
"
Implement recycling plants to reduce littering of
the land.
"
Implement proper waste disposals and waste
management.
!
Protect Amerindians
"
Ensure that those who carry out commercial
activities in Amerindian areas execute them within
the legal provisions and clean the environment after
having carried out their projects.
Development and
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is
central to Guyana’s environmental health. Nature
does not prosper in discrete increments. Only when
entire eco-systems are protected does the natural
environment thrive. Therefore, the Guyanese
government must engage in an array of programs and
initiatives designed to protect Guyana’s
biodiversity.
!
Develop Biodiversity
"
Open up Guyana for diversified development.
Implement the infrastructure elements of this
program within strict environmental guidelines and
impact assessments.
!
Protect Biodiversity
"
Support the Convention on Biological Diversity.
"
Strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency by
providing it with the appropriate legal, technical,
human resource and institutional capacity for it to
be effective.
"
Support the National Biodiversity Plan (NBAP).
"
Create incentives to encourage conservation of
biodiversity.
"
Involve environmental groups in development planning
at the local regional, sectoral and national level.
"
Encourage public awareness and education through the
media and in learning institutions.
"
Involve the National Biodiversity Advisory Committee
in the development planning process.
In Sum
Our national
anthem salutes “Dear
land of Guyana, of rivers and plains, /Made rich by
the sunshine and lush by the rains, /Set gemlike and
fair between mountains and sea.”
It is our role as
stewards of Guyana to ensure that these words
reflect an on-going reality and not a nostalgic
recollection of the past. A pristine environment is
more than an optional aesthetic quality. It is
central to our health, well-being, and a vibrant,
prosperous future.
