Oil discovery should be tempered with a deep sense of environmental responsibility

May 31, 2015 Letters

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Dear Sir,
Guyanese welcome the recent news about a significant oil find by ExxonMobil-in the Stabroek Block. Indeed, there appears to be an understandable hype about the prospects and the anticipated ensuing benefits of this precious resource to the country as a whole.
But exporting oil by itself does not transform poor countries into flourishing economies. Still the discovery of oil in commercial quantities could cause us to rethink our economic development and the way we approach the natural environment.
For me, the natural environment is really vital to not only our survival but our very existence.
Notwithstanding that, this hype should be tempered with a deep sense of environmental responsibility and an ethical approach to the way we exploit this natural resource. At the moment, there is a curious trend that economists refer to as resource curse.
It seems to be the case that on average, resource-rich nations have underperformed against countries with smaller resources but of course not all resource rich countries have underperformed.
But there are some notable examples of natural resources appearing to ruin a country: Sierra Leone’s diamonds negatively affected the fabric of that society, Nigeria’s oil facilitated corruption of the political class. But Botswana managed its diamonds to produce the fastest growing economy in the world and Norway used its oil to achieve the world’s highest living standards.
This view of a resource curse is perhaps the most troubling one for countries that are really struggling to transcend poverty. The revenues that they could garner from natural resources are enormous dwarfing any conceivable flow of aid.
These assets could assist such countries to escape the evil grasp of poverty.
Perhaps, the difference between those resource- rich countries that underperform and those that do well is the approach to environmental management, and governance. Environmental governanceis particularly concerned with the processes of decision-making with respect to the control and management of the environment and natural resources.
It also has to do with the steady interaction, formal and informal, of main actors including but not limited to state, market and civil society to make and implement policies, to achieve environmentally- sustainable development.
Some of its key principles include embedding the natural environment in all levels of decision- making, seeing cities and local neighbourhoods, communities, economic and political life as a part of the total environment and placing emphasis on the connection of people to the ecosystems in which they live.
Understanding that, Guyana, in this period of our history and in the context of the global environmental situation, must pay keen attention to, at least, three vital things:
First, good local environmental governance: Clearly, the protection and preservation of the integrity of our natural environment must be based on solutions and initiatives at the local level designed with and by local communities.
Heavy community awareness, participation and strong partnership supported by decentralisation of powers to local communities are very crucial components of local environmental governance.
This is a shift from earlier approaches, which was propelled by state agendas and resource control and top- down approach. In essence, it puts the public back in the picture at the grassroots level.
This would allow for a new institutional framework which permits communities in decision- making regarding access to and use of natural resources.
This could be encouraged by formal and informal regulations processes such as consultations and participative democracy, and social interactions. This could be supported by conditions of access to social capital, including local knowledge, leaders and local shared vision, and democratic access to information and decision-making.
Again, good governance is really about democracy. Democracy generates accountability. Citizens’ votes enhance their opportunity to hold governments accountable and to allow them to do what is best for voters. This includes, among other things, putting in place sound economic and environmental policies.
These are vital to the connection between revenues from natural resources andtranscending poverty, in poor countries.
Therefore, democracy can raise standards of governance, which in turn could banish “resource curse.”
Second, good environmental awareness and education: This is vital to empowering citizens to take appropriate action to secure the environment and its resources. Informed citizens make strong, health and active communities.
Such communities are likely to be very active in decision- making and processes that are connected with the exploitation and use of resources in and even beyond their boundaries.
This would encourage transparency, accountability and an ethical approach to the use of revenues from such natural assets.
Further, our nation’s future relies on a well-educated public to be wise and prudent stewards of the very environment that sustains us, our families and communities, and future generations.
It is environmental education which can best help us as individuals make the complex, conceptual connections between economic prosperity, benefits to society, environmental health, and our own wellbeing. Ultimately, the collective wisdom of our citizens, gained through education, will be the most compelling and most successful strategy for environmental management.
I believe a good place to start is in our schools, particularly at the primary level. Two reasons: It is a good entry point to begin to mould the minds of our children and inculcate in them a sense of deep environmental value.
Second, the flow of different energies, at different levels, allows our children to come up with solutions and initiatives that could help with some of the environmental challenges we now face. Children too have a view on the way the world should be managed. They may surprise us, if we include them in our effort to keep intact the integrity of our natural world.
Third, good environmental stewardship: This is a very nebulous concept but it is vital to sustainable development of our economy. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is predicated upon the pillars of economic, environmental and ecological, economy and equity and governance.
Again, good environmental stewardship is concerned with transforming natural resources into value for both the present and future generations. Mankind’s task is not to be curators of our natural assets but transformers of value.
It is in this context; President David Granger’s action to set up a NationalSovereign Fund, to save and invest a portion of the revenues from our natural resources is particularly relevant and vital to the wellbeing and future of our next generation. What really matters is not that we have found oil but exactly how the revenues generated from it are shared and utilised.
Also, we have to enact strict and enforceable laws to protect our natural environment.
This calls for the government improving the competencies, capabilities and technological capacities of appropriate institutions to ensure compliance to environmental laws, regulations and standards.
The few environmental agencies, we have, here, in Guyana, do not have the competencies to even do proper tests, impact assessments and other related activities.
The recent unfortunate incident, in our hinterlands that claimed the lives of gold miners is a good case in point.
Poor environmental practices resulting from a stark inability, on the part of, relevant institutions, bodies and agencies to effectively enforce even minimum standards.
Finally, It is important that we strike a good and necessary balance between our push for prosperity and an ethical approach to our natural environment.
Royston King Executive Director, Environmental Community Health

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