Deputy Secretary-General visits Iwokrama Forest

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith visited Iwokrama Forest and the nearby village of Annai in Guyana on 13 October 2007. The ‘Iwokrama programme’ was an outcome of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malaysia in 1989 when the then President of Guyana, Desmond Hoyte, offered some 360,000 hectares of virgin rainforest for a project to develop and demonstrate methods of sustainable tropical rainforest use and of conserving biological diversity.

Mr Smith, who is Deputy Chair of the Iwokrama International Board of Trustees, said: “The work that is happening at Iwokrama -- to examine and demonstrate practical ways in which forests can be sustainably managed and maintained in partnership with local people and the private sector -- is an important benefit to us all.

“We need to find new and more innovative approaches to economic development that will help people to earn a living from the forest, attract foreign exchange, and create investment and broad-based development, by using this resource in a variety of ways, not just as a source of timber.”

He added that Iwokrama is “helping us to find practical approaches that will maintain forests and the important natural services that they provide, including regulating our climate.”

Mr Smith stressed that given the importance of these objectives, there is a pressing need to ensure financial viability for Iwokrama, including increased funding support, to underpin a sound economic model for the programme.

Dr David Singh, Director-General of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, said: “It has been great to have Ransford Smith visiting Iwokrama, as the Commonwealth Secretariat has given substantial support to the programme over the years.

“This was an opportunity to showcase our research, which is not just about the plants and animals of the forest, but most importantly about how we can create economic and social benefits from this amazing resource, while keeping it intact.”

Sydney Allicock, the representative of local communities on Iwokrama’s Board, spoke about the value of the partnership that exists between Iwokrama and nearby villages in creating development opportunities. “The next generation is the thing,” he commented. “They need to play a full role in managing their environment and engaging with the changes that lie ahead.”

Accompanied by Janet Strachan, an adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr Smith also visited the Bina Hill Institute where young people are being trained in natural resource management, wildlife management, agriculture and forestry. The Deputy Secretary-General also met with staff at the Iwokrama Field Station on the banks of Essequibo River, where research and training in sustainable forest management is carried out.

Key Links:

• Sustainability
• Country Profile: Guyana