Consultations underway on environment action plan
Representatives from a wide cross-section of agencies gathered on Wednesday at Hotel Tower to begin consultations on approaches for the implementation of a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). Addressing participants at the opening of the workshop, Presidential Advisor on Science, Technology and the Environment, Navin Chandarpal pointed out that NEAP should not be looked upon as a sustainable development plan. It was noted that the plan does not attempt to address all the interrelated aspects of human development but centres on an approach which considers the main goals of environmental protection. NEAP aims to prevent or control pollution in order to maintain the purity of land, air and water; to preserve ecological balances in general and to protect fragile eco-systems in particular; and to ensure sustainability and good practice in the utilisation of natural resources. Chandarpal said the formulation of the NEAP must take into consideration global issues that can potentially affect all countries such as biological diversity and climate change. He said other aspects which must be factored into the plan include coastal zone, marine resources, forests, savannahs, and mountains. Guyana is committed to sustainable development as a major pillar of the country's socio-economic programme, a document on the NEAP stated. Chandarpal said these fundamental principles are laid out in the National Development Strategy which promotes accelerated growth and identifies the need for environmental protection to be treated as a cross-sectorial issue applied to all aspects of the development process. The objectives of the workshop were to agree on key programme areas for inclusion in the NEAP and to identify solutions to major issues in each programme area. This NEAP is for the period 2000 to 2004 and follows the first NEAP which spanned 1994 to 1999. It is hoped that the full involvement of all the relevant sectors in Guyana, and particularly communities and civic groups, will set the stage for a comprehensive and practical environmental action plan that will benefit Guyanese now and in the long term. Following the workshop, consultations will take place in selected regions in Guyana. The consultations on NEAP are being coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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