A Natural Resources Audit should be conducted despite the expense

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56532011

A Natural Resources Audit should be conducted despite the expense
Stabroek News, Sunday, October 28th 2007

Dear Editor,

The recently clarified statement by His Excellency the President Mr
Bharrat Jagdeo on the offer of deploying Guyana's approximately eighty
percent standing forests in the fight against global warming, has
indeed cleared the air of any ambiguity on this issue. However, I do
believe that much more can and has to be done in order that our nation
benefits from our standing forests in a multiplicity of ways.

It is necessary, that we raise the issue of a Natural Resources Audit,
which will inform this nation as to what we have and where it is.

These resources ranging from forest products, minerals, fresh water,
potential hydropower sites as well as medicinal plants for the
pharmaceutical industry must be explored and studied in order that
informed decisions can be made, regarding how our forests are to be
deployed. If our forest resources for example are left untouched and
the nation benefits tangibly from the industrialized countries in some
arrangement this is a good thing. However, we must be in the position
to say which forests are to be left standing, due to diligent
evaluation of the flora and fauna, sub-surface minerals and water
resources.

It is our responsibility that we maximise the use of these precious
resources not only for this generation, but also for many more to come.
Some investment must be made in this direction, since this knowledge
can lead us to the wealth which we ought to be seeking.

A very senior politician once told me that such an Audit will be
expensive and would lead to discouraging investors, since the cost of
the Audit will be transferred to the prospective investor in respective
areas. I will not comment on that statement further than to say, cent
wise and billions of dollars foolish.

To illustrate the necessity of a Natural Resource Audit, I will present
this hypothetical scenario. We need more power generating capacity to
support our growing economy. Our first choice is a hydropower facility
somewhere in a heavily forested area somewhere in Region 8. We go
ahead, build this hydro power plant, and flood an area, which will
provide the water required to feed the turbines. Three years after
commencement, we discover that the flooded area contains vast
quantities of oil and gas. Indeed, we have lost time, spent large
capital sums in the construction of the hydro power plant and now have
to decide what to do. An audit would have helped us avoid such a
situation.

In a series of lectures broadcast by the Voice of America under the
theme 'Modernization: The Dynamics of Growth' Professor Eugene Stanley
explored the role of the State in Economic Development and stated the
following:

'The government must take responsibility for analyzing the country's
economic position and its development potentials, determining feasible
and mutually consistent development goals, and devising ways to move
the economy towards those goals as rapidly and smoothly as possible.
This requires (1) Analysis of resources, (2) setting of short-range and
long-range targets for economic advance, sector by sector and so far as
feasible industry by industry, and (3) spelling out for the information
of all concerned what the attainment of the proposed targets will mean
in increased production and in increased requirements for materials and
equipment trained man power, capital and foreign exchange.'

He goes on to state 'This process if it is realistic and followed up by
positive measures of implementation, creates well-founded expectations
that enable all economic agencies, governmental and private, to base
their own plans and decisions on a common general plan and thus work
together for economic expansion'.

Many here recognized this and after meaningful consultation,the
National Development Strategy was born. Indeed the government has
implemented some of the items therein, but has done so in a manner that
excluded other important stakeholders. In doing so, the speed at which
we could develop is limited, due to so many not feeling a part of the
strategy and thus they have taken on the position of bystanders and
critics. Many took part in the formulation of the plan but feel now
excluded from its execution and evaluation.

Increasingly governments around the world have started to recognize
that natural resources are much more than the usual mineral (gold,
diamond, iron ore, bauxite etc) and hydrocarbon deposits (coal, oil and
gas). Often we tend to forget that, due to standing forests, and the
knowledge connected to specific species of plants and animals, used by
indigenous and other peoples for medicinal purposes, this must be seen
as a very special natural resource, which must be protected and so
marketed. The holders of such information as a group and as individuals
must benefit as well as the entire nation.

Governments must protect this local knowledge from being cheaply
exported from our country by 'research agencies' for minuscule amounts
(gifts, grants, and clock fixings) only to be sold to the
pharmaceutical industries for large amounts. Fair trade indeed has its
limitations.

If we recognize that the world has moved to the point where knowledge
and technology are the driving forces of rapid development, then we
must consciously seek to identify areas of local intellectual property
and protect it. We have been guilty of snubbing local intelligence in a
number of ways and thus have played into the hands of those who
continue to 'help' us with gifts, grants and clock fixings.

Governments often overlook fresh water resources especially where an
apparent abundance of water is present. With the ever-increasing
negative effects of changing weather patterns, freshwater resources
have to be monitored and efficiently used in order to ensure adequate
supplies for future generations. Often new industries along with
intensified agricultural activity put more pressure on fresh water
supplies in two ways; namely: water is needed in the industries and
agriculture for production processes and from these two activities
effluents are produced, which contaminate fresh water. The cycle if not
managed efficiently will spiral out of control, thus creating serious
consequences for our very existence. Therefore, this resource must be
protected and managed in a manner, that not only assures our continued
development, but also secures future endeavours.

Many have predicted that future world wars will be fought, not over
minerals and oil, but over the control of freshwater supplies. Many
ongoing conflicts in our time are a result of limited freshwater.
Therefore, this resource must be re-evaluated as a long-term asset of
immense value.

Data on Guyana from 1992 as stated by World Resources Institute, under
withdrawals by sector of the renewable water resources has agriculture
at 98%, industry 1% and domestic at 1% using a total of 1.5 cubic
kilometers.

It would be of interest to know what the figures are now in 2007 in
light of the development of various sectors and industries since 1992.

Certainly, a re-evaluation of how we do things is in order. One of Bob
Marley's songs so aptly describes the situation we find ourselves in;
'In an abundance of water the fool is thirsty'. Are we fools? I hope
not.

Yours faithfully,

Everall Franklin, MP