- This strategy sets out Guyana's plans for low carbon growth and reduced exploitation of forests with concomitant benefits for climate change mitigation. The LCDS is funded by international payments for ecosystem services, currently comprising a USD250m deal with the government of Norway. These funds are being invested in areas which it is thought will facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy. This includes investments in the following areas:Adaptation and climate resilience, focussing on:Low carbon infrastructure
- High potential low carbon sectors
- Hinterland development
- Human capital
- Adaptation and climate resilience.
- Amerindian and hinterland development.
A series of programmes focussing on:
- Electrification
- A development fund to be disbursed in accordance with community development funds.
- ICT access, focusing on expanded network of fibre cables.
- Facilitating investment in high-potential, low-carbon sectors, namely:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Aquaculture
- Sustainable forestry and wood processing,
- Business process outsourcing,
- Eco-tourism
- Bio-ethanol
- Sustainably growing the extractive and forestry sectors. This includes:
- Improving the regulatory environment for forestry;
- Transition to more value-added production of timber including the integration of primary and secondary production;
- Increased efficiency in extraction, reduction of waste and increased recovery in timber processing.
Since the mining sector is such an important contributor to Guyana's economy (c.20% GDP), mining is not required to cease under the terms of the LCDS. A Special Land Use Committee was established in 2010 which proposed the following projects:
- Strengthening Land Use Planning and Co-ordination among natural resource agencies
- Sustainable Land Management in the mining and forestry sectors
- Enhanced Land Reclamation
- Improved Infrastructure in Mining Districts
- Amendments to Mining Act and Regulations
In addition the Guyana Geology and Mining Commission is furthering efforts to reduce forest degradation including hiring 19 new mining inspectors to ensure adherence to mining regulations. Low-carbon transport is envisaged as an activity mainly for the period after 2015, when up to USD2m will be allocated to planning work to look at how transport infrastructure can be upgraded and benefit the economy.
