DoE calls on Guyanese to play their part in implementation of GSDS principles

DPI, GUYANA, Saturday, March 31, 2018

The Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) represents the will of Guyanese; therefore it is imperative that they not only participate in the document’s drafting but that each citizen plays a part to ensure that the measures in the final document are implemented.

This call is being made by Head of the Department of Environment (DoE), Ndibi Schwiers. During a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), she explained how Guyanese can contribute to the process.

“There are various things you can do, you can pressure your leaders to ensure what needs to get done is done, but you as stewards of the environment also have a responsibility to ensuring that you do not litter, that you do not burn fires in open spaces, for example.”

The DoE Head is urging Guyanese to respect the environmental regulations and to call the Department if information is needed or if uncertainty exists about the effect a particular action may have. “The environment belongs to all of us and we need to put our shoulders to the wheel to ensure we protect the environment,” she emphasised.

Meanwhile, Schwiers noted that the three Rio Conventions, to which Guyana signed onto, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are integral to the country’s green pathway.

The DoE has embarked on a project which allows all stakeholders both government and private sector to collectively examine how the three conventions can be mainstreamed into our national development processes, including inter-sectoral plans.

Schwiers believes that in the past, limited capacity hampered the country’s uptake of these conventions. Hence, the project aims to build the capacity of Guyanese for future development.
“This not only applies to the Rio Conventions that capacity that will be built will also enable us to be more responsive to other environmental conventions Guyana has signed onto.”

The Department is hosting a series of “Green Conversations” throughout the country with the objective of attaining the input of a wide cross-section of Guyanese to facilitate the finalisation of the GSDS.

 

By: Stacy Carmichael