Gov’t aiming to protect 30 per cent of country’s land mass – Foreign Secretary

Foreign Secretary and Chairman of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Board of Directors, Robert Persaud on Saturday outlined the government’s efforts to identify and increase the number of protected areas.

This is as the country joined in observing World Earth Day 2023 under the theme ‘Invest in Our Planet’.

Speaking at a tree planting exercise in the Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, the foreign secretary noted that, “The Protected Areas Commission, as part of the government’s policy, is working with international and local partners to identify certain areas for protection. So far, close to 17 per cent of the national area has been identified as protected areas, and the government aims to increase this to 30 per cent by 2030.”

The Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 is the guiding document for achieving the objective of striking the balance between the country’s development and the protection of the environment.

Highlighting that Guyana has the second-highest forest density and cover in the world, with its intact rainforest almost the size of England, Mr. Persaud said this demonstrates the country’s commitment to environmental preservation.

In his Earth Day message, he pointed to the significant investments already made in clean and renewable energy and improving Guyana’s capacity to tackle pollution in a more effective manner.

“In spite of these achievements, there is much more work to be done and, in this regard, Guyana stands ready to partner with Government, non-governmental institutions, and States to restore and build back a better planet for present and future generations,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is on an official visit here, noted the cumulative effect of planting multiple trees and the significant difference it makes.

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally.

Indian High Commissioner, Dr. K. J Srinivasa, Commissioner of the PAC, Jason Fraser, other staff of the PAC, and senior government officials and stakeholders were also in attendance.