Presentation to moray house on world environment day june 05, 2012-final

LIVING SUSTAINABLY

03/07/13 Perspectives on Guyana's Hinterland-JGS 1

PERSPECTIVES ON GUYANA’S HINTERLAND

Developmental Challenges and Opportunities
Presentation
by
Major General (retd) Joseph G Singh
On the Occasion of World Environment Day
June 05, 2012
Moray House

AIM
To provide a perspective on Guyana’s Hinterland
that highlights:
• current drivers that are important to the future of
Guyana
• opportunities that can shape the future of Guyana
• challenges that have to be managed
• a model of Community Owned Best practice for
sustainable Resource Adaptive management in the
Guiana Shield


CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS ON THE COASTAL INFRASTRUCURE, SETTLEMENTS AND THE ECONOMY

CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS


THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Vulnerability of Guyana’s Physical, Social and
Economic Infra-structure
The legacy of colonial infra-structure on the coast and
the vulnerabilities to climate related phenomena –
floods, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion, and
siltation, require costly budgetary allocations but the
situation may prove to be untenable in the long run so
strategic decisions have to be made:
• to secure the safety of the coastal population, and
• to diversify the economy to reduce dependence on
coastal assets and rely more on hinterland and
regional opportunities

LOW LYING COASTAL PLAIN


COASTAL DYNAMICS OFF BEL AIR


COASTAL AGRICULTURE


FISHERMEN’S COOP AMIDST
FRAGILE SEA DEFENCES


ERODED GROYNES AND BREAKWATERS


COASTAL VULNERABILITY TO FLOODING
January 2005 –Onverwagt
WCB Satellite photo – Jan 17, 2005


EAST DEM CONSERVANCY AND ECD


CROSS SECTION OF THE ECD


UNTENABLE COASTAL AND RIVERINE
SETTLEMENT


CHANGING COASTLINE - SHELL BEACH,
NWD

Then 2008 Now 2012


WARRAUS’ ADAPTATION IN THE WAINI


GEO-STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES
Caribbean and Northern South America

GEO-STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES

• Guyana as a producer of
food for the regional
market
• Guyana as a regional
transportation hub
• Guyana as a conduit to
the Atlantic for
manufactured goods and
agricultural products
from Amazonas and
Roraima


GEO-STRATEGIC
OPPORTUNITIES
•Guyana as the only English
–speaking country in South
America provides a bridge
from the north (North
America, Europe and the
Caribbean) to the States of
Roraima and Amazonas and
a bridge from the south to
the north.
•The upgrading of the
airports at CJIA and at Ogle
will provide facilities for
larger aircraft and faster
turn around for persons
transiting Guyana for the
hinterland and bordering
States


THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Loss of preferential markets, un-competitiveness of agricultural
exports because of high subsidies paid to farmers in traditional
markets of the developed countries, and the high cost of
production because of imported fossil fuels , are disincentives to
continue trade and production strategy as per ‘business as
usual’. Guyana’s opportunities lie in pursuing :
• the options of securing benefits for stewardship of its forests,
through REDD+ incentives, payment for eco-system services,
and pursuing a low carbon development strategy
• Evolving regional and hemispheric and international markets for
food, raw materials from mineral resources, and petroleum
products
• Transportation infra-structure to support the movement of
people, goods and services as Guyana has potential to evolve
into a regional transportation hub


MAP OF GUYANA SHOWING EVOLVING
ROAD/TRAIL INFRASTRUCTURE


CONNECTIVITY REGION 7


REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY
Region 8 Region 9


OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL
SHAPE THE FUTURE
•
- Economic opportunities
Greening of the economy
Equity, Access and Poverty Reduction
Environmental safeguards

THE ECONOMY
TRADITONAL & EMERGING
Agriculture
•Sugar
•Rice
•Timber and wood products
•Sea foods and fish farms
•Fruits
Mining
•Bauxite
•Manganese
•Gold
•Diamonds
•Quarry products – aggregates and sand
•Petroleum
Emerging Green Economy
Services
•Transportation –Sea freight, air - cargo and
passengers, land - cargo and passengers
•Construction
•Hospitality –hotels and restaurants
•Telecommunications - high speed internet
fixed and mobile networks
•Call centres
•Carbon storage and Ecosystem services
Tourism
•Nature and adventure
•Sports and cultural tourism


NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TRENDS
THE LOW CARBON DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY
•The option of securing benefits for its
stewardship of its forests, by pursuing
REDD+ incentives and payment for
ecosystem services. Already Guyana
has an agreement with the Kingdom of
Norway where it is receiving payments
on an annual basis for maintaining
agreed benchmarks in avoided
deforestation and degradation.
• The moneys accruing from this
Agreement are allocated to strategic
projects such as hydropower
development; procurement and
allocation of photovoltaic lighting
facilities for un-served communities in
the hinterland; providing high speed
connectivity to enhance the delivery of
government services throughout the
country; and in providing access to
information technology through the
provision of a one laptop per family
project, targeting low - income and
hinterland communities .


GUIANA SHIELD & WEST AFRICAN CRATON


THE OPPORTUNITIES:
THE MINING AND
PETROLEUM SECTOR
•The Demand for Gold, Bauxite,
Manganese, Copper and other metals
and Rare Earths is increasing and
Guyana has had a continuing stream of
foreign investors interested in
exploration permits and in establishing
partnerships with local miners who
have been mining surface or artesian
gold and who are interested in the
partnership arrangements because
they lack the capital and technology to
do deep or underground mining.
•These partnerships are also likely to
be catalysts for hydropower
development on the run-of the river
model, to provide power for their
operations while providing electricity
for nearby communities. The
development of roads, river landings,
airstrips will also be facilitated,
Active drilling for petroleum offshore
is also taking place and there is
optimism about a discovery.


OPPORTUNITIES
RESPONSIBLE EXPLOITATION
OF MINERALS
•The demand for gold, bauxite,
manganese, copper, rare earths and
petroleum has catalysed activities in
large, medium and small scale mining.
The high price of gold, increases in
prices for other minerals and the
positive market demand being
forecasted ,have funneled investments
into Guyana mainly from Canada but
also from Australia, China, Russia and
interests from other countries.
•With exploitation of natural resources
comes the environmental impacts on
people and on the ecosystems.
•Striking a balance between sensible
exploitation and conservation ,requires
consultation with all stakeholders, land-
use policy, inter-agency cooperation,
legislation, regulations, institutional
capacity, skilled managerial and
technical competence, financial
accountability, benefits to people and to
biodiversity conservation and
sustainable management


LAND DREDGING


HYDRAULICKING


OKO


TAILINGS MANAGEMENT


RIVER DREDGE-DRAGGER


CHECKING WATER TURBIDITY


BARAMITA


PORT KAITUMA


CONTRASTING LIVELIHOODS
Extractive enterprises Food security


CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT

THE GUIANA SHIELD


CONSERVATION PRIORITIES IN THE GUIANA SHIELD


HINTERLAND PEOPLES, LANDSCAPES AND BIODIVERSITY

Maintenance of traditions Realities of development


RIVERS AND FORESTS


MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS


WATER FALLS
KAIETEUR AMAILA


PRISTINE FORESTS


WETLANDS AND SAVNNAHS


SAVANNAHS AND MOUNTAINS


NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC
Agricultural mounds in the
Impressive forest giant! flood plain –astonishing industry!


JAGUAR


ANACONDA


SLOTH


CAIMAN


HARPY EAGLE NEST


HARPY PREPARING FOR TAKE 0FF


MODEL OF A COMMUNITY IN TRANSITION
-MASAKENARI
Acknowledging the past
Embracing the Future

A CASE STUDY IN ADAPTATION-
THE WAI WAI VILLAGE OF MASAKENARI IN SW GUYANA

•Founded in 1950s through fusion of
nomadic family groups into a settled
community
•Influenced by missionaries in terms of
spirituality but have accommodated
Christian teachings in their traditional
spiritual affinity with the natural
environment
•Influence of the government’s
administration –trade store based on
barter, introduction of school and
medical health centre,
•Involvement and participation in the
national social and cultural activities
•Interface with extended families in
Brazil and Suriname exposed them to
challenges and opportunities
•Advocacy for land ownership and for
support to manage the land and
resources in a sustainable manner
•Integration of new technologies and
techniques with traditional values and
beliefs for charting their future in the
context of a developing Guyana


MASAKENARI –DEEP SW GUYANA


WAI WAI PETROGLYPHS -
KASSAKAITYU


MARAWANAWA AND CONSTRUCTION CREW


COORDINATED EFFORTS


WORK IN PROGRESS


MAINTAINING TRADITIONS
Konashen 1969 Masakenari 2011


RETAINING THE SKILLS
Making Wai Wai Benches - Making Wai Wai Grater
1952 2011


CHANGES
1960s 2011


VARIATIONS OF THE THEME
1950s 2011


MAINTAINING THE TRADITIONS
craft making finished products


CASSAVA BREAD MAKING AND CASAREEP
PROCESS


DRYING FINISHED CASSAVA BREAD


ARROW MAKING AND PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE


APPROPRIATE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES


ECO-FRIENDLY ANTENNA POLE


ANTENNA MAINTENANCE


BATH TIME - JANICE’S CHILDREN


PLAYTIME ON THE RIVER


FAMILY PICNIC


IWOKRAMA- TRAINED RANGERS


WAI WAI TITLED LAND IN SW GUYANA


SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING


MARANAWA-TRAINED TURTLE DANCERS


APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY –TRADITIONAL
THATCH AND SOLAR LIGHTING


CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION
Communications 1960s Internet access 2011


MASAKENARI YOUTHS AT FLAG
RAISING


VOLLEYBALL IN NATURE’S STADIUM


ONE WITH NATURE


CONCLUSION
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE EXPLOITED IN CREATIVE WAYS

Guyana’s economic development strategy can be based on a transition to a green economy :
• through agricultural growth in response to food security and commercial opportunities
within the Caribbean Region and northern South America
• revenues from stewardship of forests and ecosystems
• Increasing movement of goods and services and people to Guyana ,based on trade and
investment opportunities, and those transiting Guyana en route to the Atlantic and
bordering States
• Cultural, heritage and nature tourism
• Reducing dependence on fossil fuels by developing and utilising micro run of the river
hydropower facilities for communities and environmentally sound mini and medium
scale hydropower for industrial development and the national grid
• Revenues from responsible mineral and oil & gas exploitation with stringent
environmental safety benchmarks , remediation and value-added earnings from
processing.
• Integrated planning, good communication and inclusive consultations
• Good governance --- putting Guyana First!


RECOMMENDATIONS
NEED FOR A NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO STRATEGIC GOALS
REGIONAL
• REGIONAL INTEGRATION
• HARMONISATION OF POLICIES

HEMISPHERIC
 RESOLUTION OF BORDER CONTROVERSIES
 DETERRING UNREGULATED MOVEMENT AND CRIMINAL TENDENCIES
 INTEGRATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND STIMULATING THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLES, GOODS AND SERVICES
 INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL TRADE, SOCIAL , SPORTS AND CULTURAL LINKAGES

DOMESTIC
 GOVERNANCE
 RULE OF LAW
 ACCOUNTABILITY
 DEVOLUTION AND DECENTRALISATION
 PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
 CIVIL SOCIETY ADVOCACY
 JOB RELATED TRAINING AND PLACEMENT
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
 EDUCATION – FUNCTIONAL, LITERACY; MANAGERIAL COMPETENCE , TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL SKILLS CAPACITY
 WORK ETHIC
 MAINTENANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
 REDUCE HIGH ENERGY COSTS AND DEPENDENCY ON FOSSIL FUELS BY USE OF HYDRO POWER AND PHOTOVOLTAICS
 DEMOGRAPHIC REDEPLOYMENT TO AVOID VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE PHENOMENA
 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL/RECYCLING AND RESTRICTION ON IMPORTS OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE CONTAINERS
 ACCESSIBILITY TO DECISION-MAKERS, PROBLEM SOLVING AND MEDIATION OF CONFLICTS
 ZERO-TOLERANCE TO CRIME & BREACHES OF SECURITY AND INTEGRITY
 INTEGRATED LAND-USE POLICY AND PLANNING
 ADDRESS ISSUES OF ACCESS, HUMAN RIGHTS, RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
 MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS OF CITIZENS


WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY –JUNE 05
• UNEP’s Theme: GREEN ECONOMY: Does it
include you?
• I hope this presentation has been useful in
providing you with information, perspectives and
perhaps some food for thought, through the
recommendations, that can be used as a tool for
advocacy and action
• Our ability to create problems for ourselves, as
we have done with Carbon Emissions, is
matched only by our ability to create solutions”.


BREAKING OF A NEW DAWN IN THE
HINTERLAND OF GUYANA


Presentation to moray house on world environment day june 05, 2012-final

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