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‘Guyana’s forest is an asset that must be valued and paid for’ – Pres. Ali tells Latin America Forum
Kaieteur News – In an address on Thursday at the 6th Annual Security Challenges in Latin America Forum, President Irfaan Ali reiterated the importance of preserving the Amazon rainforest, often hailed as the ‘lungs of the world.’
President Irfaan Ali
The forum, themed “Environmental Protection: Land Use in the Amazon Basin and Marine Conservation,” served as a platform for advocating collaborative efforts towards preserving the planet’s most precious natural resources. The Amazon basin covers an immense area that extends from the Andes Mountains in Peru to the northeastern coast of Brazil, where the river empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It includes parts of the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
In his remarks, Guyana’s head-of-state highlighted that safeguarding this natural asset is not only an environmental imperative but also essential for the sustainable development and prosperity of nations worldwide. President Ali underscored the Amazon basin’s significance as a vital carbon sink, storing over 150 billion metric tons of carbon and playing a crucial role in mitigating global climate change. Ali urged world leaders to recognise the tangible value of the rainforest and invest in its protection, stressing the urgent need for a framework to comprehend and conserve forests on a global scale.
“If the world values what the lungs of the world are, then what are we willing to do? What are we willing to invest? We have to attach a value to this basin if we are going to protect the basin,” he noted.
President Ali showcased Guyana as a model for sustainable growth, leveraging its abundant oil resources to achieve environmentally responsible development. He highlighted Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) as a blueprint for balancing economic progress with environmental sustainability. He commended Guyana’s efforts in forest conservation, boasting one of the lowest deforestation rates globally and positioning the country as a ‘net-carbon sink.’ To this end, President Ali encouraged other nations to emulate these measures and explore innovative climate finance mechanisms to protect forest and marine ecosystems.
Explaining why Guyana kept its forest intact, Ali said, “Not because we don’t have the opportunity to have economic use of the land and deforestation for agriculture purposes, mining purposes but because we took the conscience decision that this is an asset we are going to protect for the world but as an asset [that] must be valued and paid for, very simple model…”
Moreover, drawing attention to the dire consequences of deforestation on Caribbean islands, President Ali highlighted the need for biodiversity conservation, encompassing not only the protection of the forest itself but also its rich ecosystems.
Addressing the economic dimension, Ali underscored the need for sustainable development goals to align with the preservation of natural resources. He outlined the substantial financial investments required to address the climate crisis, urging nations to allocate a significant portion of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) towards sustainable, resilient, and decarbonised development.
“If we are not valuing the asset that we have to safeguard, where is the resource coming from? That is why Guyana has made the case that we need to have a market model that values the asset and generates revenue for the asset…So that these resources that are critically needed for the safeguarding of the society can be raised,” he said.
President Ali highlighted the attainability of the goal, stressing the importance of collective effort in reshaping the global attitude towards forests. He underscored the need to recognize forests as valuable assets in the market and urged for their monetization. By doing so, he said, the world can prioritize protection and channel investments towards the forest regeneration, and ensuring sustainability for future generations.
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