Kwebanna, Batavia to tap forestry management project

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56526516

Kwebanna, Batavia to tap forestry management project
Stabroek News
Saturday, August 11th 2007

The WWF and the British High Commission are to collaborate with the
Government of Guyana to implement a project on sustainable forest
management in two forested areas of Guyana: Kwebanna (Region One -
Barima/Waini) and Batavia (Region Seven - Potaro/Siparuni).

It is a programme to strengthen sustainable forest management across
the Guiana Shield and it builds on the work of the British Government
over the years supporting Guyana's forestry.

The British High Commission also made a grant of 100,000 pounds
sterling ($35.1M) towards the implementation of the project, which will
be done by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the WWF. The
project activities include the development of forest management plans
and annual operational plans, the provision of training and capacity
building on key forestry areas and the carrying out of forest resources
assessment for these communities.

"We recognise the importance of the Guiana Shield as the largest
expanse of undisturbed tropical rainforest on the planet," British High
Commissioner Fraser Wheeler said. Wheeler and WWF Regional
Representative Dominiek Plouvier signed the agreement for the project
yesterday at the British High Commission.

Wheeler made the point that sustainable management of the forest is
critical and that the regional dimension means that it made sense to
focus on more than one country within the Shield. The programme will be
extended through Guyana and Suriname, focusing on Kwebanna and Batavia
in Guyana and Marshall Creek and Pokigron in Suriname.

He said that based on the consultations with the Government of Guyana
and Suriname and the WWF, the expected results from the programme will
be the improved forestry regulation and enforcement in these forest
communities.

It would allow the communities to manage their resources in a
sustainable way. "So the aim is that for example there will be less
illegal logging, increased value from wood products, more sustainable
livelihoods and greater awareness of the potential of the forest
resource," Wheeler said.

He said too that the intention is to spread the good practice learnt
from this programme across other communities within the Guiana Shield.

The British High Commission, Wheeler said, will continue to discuss
with the Governments within the Shield how greater value can be
extracted from the forest in the context of the mitigation of climate
change through the trading of carbon credits.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said that
the Government of Guyana recognises the significant contribution that
the British Government and the WWF have made to Guyana and the forest
sector in particular.

He said that access to this grant was made possible through the good
relationship which exists amongst the Government of Guyana and
Government of the United Kingdom and the on-going cooperation among the
various agencies.

Persaud made the point that the WWF has also been an excellent partner
to the GFC in providing assistance in many critical areas, all geared
at enhancing the sustainable management and utilisation of Guyana's
forest resources.

"We hope to further strengthen this collaborative partnership with WWF
in their second phase of the Guianas Programme," the Minister said.

He said that the GOG recognises the important role that community
forestry groups can play in poverty reduction through job creation, and
the provision of other spin-off benefits to the wider economy. "The
importance of this is manifested in the revised Forest Bill, before
Parliament, which has an entire section devoted to Community
Concessions," he said.

According to the Minister, the GFC, as the regulating agency, plays a
key role in these community groups commencing from their formation, and
continuing to processes involved with registration, land titling,
election of officer bearers, drafting of a constitution, provision of
training, business plan development, and training in governance, and
Sustainable Forest Management.

"We have moved another step in seeking funding and other resources for
community projects and development, all in keeping with Sustainable
Forest Management principles. Recently, some communities have been
successful in gaining access to resources to enable value adding in
forestry activities under the Government -EU Micro Project Programme,"
he said.

Kwebanna is perhaps one of the most remote communities in Guyana,
located in the North West region, and relies heavily on the forest for
its economic sustenance. "We believe that with appropriate support and
guidance, this community has tremendous potential to develop their
forest activities to yield them significant benefits to boost their
livelihoods," Persaud said.

Batavia, he said, is similarly a community whose main economic activity
is forestry. This community is located on the Cuyuni River. Persaud is
of the view that this community is also well positioned to enhance its
development in a sustainable manner, through improved forestry
practices.