Above: Kaietur Falls (Photo: GINA)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The German government has contributed $6.47 million to fund the second phase of a programme aimed at preserving the country’s forests.

The first phase of the joint Guyana-Germany project saw Guyana receive $7 million from 1994 to 2004 through the National Resources Management Project, which led to the introduction of Geographic Information Services at several agencies in the country.

“This support we are receiving from the Germany government will allow us to activate and realize the protected areas commission,” said Environment Minister Robert Persaud.

The minister said the funding would help implement the new protected areas bill, which was passed before the end of the last parliament.

A number of areas in the country have already been declared protected areas, including Kaietur, Kanuku Mountains and Shell Beach.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that whatever we do here would not in any case impinge, reduce or affect our ability to utilize the natural resources that our forests and other areas possess, but will in fact give us greater capacity of the proper utilization, all consistent with the sustainable development trust,” he said.