Iwokrama to get vital two-year cash injection
Stabroek News
January 16, 2004
The cash-strapped Iwokrama Rain Forest Centre has received a commitment for a grant which will fund critical staff positions for another two years.
The Commonwealth Secretariat has made a two-year commitment of US$320,000, to ensure the sustainability of the organisation, under the condition that it would use the grace period to "build capacity".
Iwokrama's board of trustees made the announcement during a press conference held on Wednesday at the Georgetown Club on Camp Street, which was followed by a public forum at which questions from members of the public on the work of the centre were answered. Iwokrama encompasses one million acres of virgin forest which have been set aside for sustainable development uses.
Earlier in the day, the board held its tenth meeting since being formed in 1997. The board includes representatives from Guyana, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Commonwealth Sec-retariat.
Board Chairman, Winston Cox, said he was pleased with the progress Iwokrama has made over the last nine months. Cox, who is deputy chairman and deputy secretary-general of the Common- wealth Secretariat, was installed as interim chairman at the last board meeting. He said the process for electing a new chairman had begun and will be finalised before the next meeting in July. He added that the board had nominated new trustees and these names would be submitted to President Bharrat Jagdeo and Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon.
Cox said the most significant outcome of the meeting was the stated commitment of the trustees, the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to the centre's future.
Cox said too that Iwokrama has undergone rapid institutional change and was now on the right path to becoming self-sustaining. The board is also in discussion with other potential donors, while there are ongoing efforts by the British government to have the Iwokrama name known worldwide.
This year, the centre is to continue to develop timber harvesting, tourism, training and conservation activities in the Iwokrama forest under a work plan approved by the board.
The trustees also established three new standing committees of the board - finance and fund-raising, programme and nominating. These are to actively support and promote the work of the centre, including the development of new financing opportunities over the coming six months.
This year, Iwokrama will submit a forestry project proposal to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO). In addition, an environmental management plan is to be developed this year for the Iwokrama reserve, since the centre is gearing to harvest timber products in a sustainable manner as part of its income-generating drive.
The organisation also expressed its gratitude to the Canadian International Development Agency, the European Union and the ITTO for funding received.
Iwokrama Director-General, Graham Watkins, said that because of the increased traffic, rangers from the centre's field station at Kurupukari would be placed along the now-used Linden to Lethem road. He said this year arrangements would be made for all the rangers to become supernumerary constables. In addition, there would be routine checking of vehicles.
The centre is also making arrangements to have a police presence at the ranger stations at Kurupukari and Corkwood, the northern and southern entrances to the Iwokrama forest.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues, who was present at the press conference, said government is examining recommendations for improving security on the Linden to Lethem road.
Watkins said the road brings tremendous opportunities for tourism and advantages essential to Iwokrama. He added that the increased traffic on the road can lead to the decrease in the cost of transportation and this could mean more visitors.
He said too that Iwokrama is now making money from a community-driven aquarium fish project and the centre is now looking at marketing.
The centre had undergone staff cuts during last year as part of efforts to ensure sustainability in the face of its core funding drying up. However, Watkins told reporters that he envisages no staff cuts at Iwokrama this year. (Johann Earle)