Incentives needed to combat climate change
Taking a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) crew on a
tour of the East Demerara Water Conservancy and the Mahaica Creek area,
President Bharrat Jagdeo on August 6 told the broadcasters about how global
warming and climate change have been affecting
Guyana
and the efforts the country has been making to protect its intact rainforest.
The BBC crew members were filming for
their feature programme “Panorama”, with this segment on
rainforests expected to be aired on September 8.
Meanwhile, President Jagdeo’s climate
change initiative, which stipulates that market-based incentives
should be provided for countries which have been preserving
their rainforests, has been receiving worldwide attention.
The President told the news crew that
Guyana is definitely affected by climate change as the country
has been notably experiencing highly unpredictable weather
patterns and higher levels of rainfall which put great pressure
especially on the conservancy dams and adversely affect farmers
and others living in the Mahaica, Mahaicony and other vulnerable
areas of the country.
The Guyanese leader said this could be
done by preserving the country’s rainforest, but noted that the
world needs to recognise that forests play an integral role in
averting climate change. He added that consequently, incentives
must be provided through a market-based mechanism similar to
that in the European trading scheme, so that people in
developing countries who use the forest for their livelihood can
have alternatives of gaining income.
Asked about whether
Guyana
has been approached by interested parties to assist in this
regard, the President said, unfortunately, this has not been the
case, but only rhetoric is what he hears and there is more talk
than action.
“The rhetoric about rainforest in some
circles doesn’t match the resources available to preserve the
rainforest. In fact, I think most of the incentives that are
available are perverse in nature. They reward bad behaviour
rather than good behaviour and good forestry practices,” he told
the BBC.
He reiterated his earlier notions that the
current Kyoto Protocol only provides for incentives for
reforestation, and this should be changed. He also alluded to
recent talks on climate change which he said have been focusing
primarily on reducing carbon emissions.
$268M awarded for improving D&I
The Ministry of Agriculture on August 5
awarded five contracts worth $268 million to construct and
rehabilitate drainage and irrigation (D&I) structures in several
parts of the country.
The works will be undertaken in Regions
Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo
Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica/Berbice).
In Region Two, a scour protection will be
built at La Union outfall channel on the
Essequibo Coast to ease erosion and increase the
performance of the La Union sluice. A new sluice will be erected
at the DeWillem, West Coast Demerara, and is expected to benefit
approximately 600 hectares of agricultural cultivation, mostly
sugar cane.
In addition, an irrigation infrastructure
will be built at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara while
rehabilitation will also be done to the Kuru Kuru sluice and the
creek channel along
Soesdyke/Linden Highway will be
cleared. Repairs will also be done to the double door Bellamy
West End sluice at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, which serves
nearly 12,000 acres of cultivated land.
Cuban
Scholarship Award Programme
The special Cuban Scholarship Award
Programme will continue through 2010. The latest batch of
awardees returned home on August 6. They included 65 final year
medical students, 17 who graduated in veterinary medicine, 7 in
agronomy science, 20 in civil engineering, 1 in communication
engineering and 2 in sports and physical education.
The 65 medical students will complete
their final year rotations in Guyana under the supervision of
Cuban professors at the recently commissioned diagnostic
facilities and will be posted at Leonora, Suddie, Mahaicony and
Diamond diagnostic centres.
The other graduates will be assigned to
State and government agencies in the various administrative
regions.
This month, the first batch of the
academic year 2008/2009 scholars, consisting of 150 awardees in
engineering and agronomy, will travel this month to Cuba to commence
their studies.
Remarkable achievement of PMTCT
Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy,
has described the foreign aided Prevention of Mother to Child
Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS programme as a success story
that has seen remarkable achievements.
He said, prior to 2001, 35 per cent of HIV
positive pregnant women passed the disease on to their children
but, currently, only four per cent of those babies are infected.
The PMTCT scheme started in 2001at the
ante-natal clinics of the West
Demerara
Regional
Hospital and the Dorothy Bailey Health
Centre in Georgetown.
It provides the latest technology for
testing and treatment and is a huge success, the minister
maintained.
The PMTCT is an advanced process, funding
for which is assisted by the Global Fund and the World Bank,
among other donors. It is being used in developed countries like
the United
States
and European countries but only in a few developing countries.
Ramsammy noted, however, that
Guyana
played a pioneering role before developing countries
contemplated its use. He revealed that by the end of 2007, 117
local health facilities were providing PMTCT services in all the
ten administrative Regions.
Guyana
has moved from having no PMTCT service to delivering at more
than 100 clinics in six years. Currently, 90 per cent of
pregnant women have access to the services in their
neighbourhoods and others at nearby locations.
Education Ministry receives 5 million
books
Over five million books were on August 8
donated to the Ministry of Education, through the initiative of
Guyana’s ambassador in
Washington, Beni Karran.
Arriving at the Guyana
National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) wharf in 13 forty-foot
containers, the books are mainly for the lower grades of
secondary, nursery and primary schools.
The books cover the core subject areas of:
Mathematics, English, Phonics, Social Studies,
Reading, Science and Spanish.
Teaching materials and work books to go
along with certain text books, in areas such as English and
Mathematics, were also received.
The books range in excess of over 1,200
titles, and are very colourful, attractive, factual and
motivational, and some are accompanied by instructional manuals.
26,000
children to benefit from school uniform programme
Government, as part of its commitment to
assist persons living under difficult circumstances, has again
intervened in vulnerable families with its school uniform
distribution programme which has already begun.
More than 26,000 children in all the
administrative regions across the country will benefit from this
programme, jointly conducted by the Human Services Ministry and
the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
Government has increased its allocation to
$55 million for this year’s assistance, of which $15 million is
slated for children in hinterland communities.
Children of school age who receive public
assistance and their siblings will automatically benefit from
this programme. This step was taken by the Ministry to ensure
that every child in vulnerable households receives this
assistance from Government, some of whom may not be recipients
of public assistance.
Minister of Human Services and Social
Security, Priya Manickchand, cited the possibility that the
relevant welfare body may not have granted public assistance to
more than two or three children in one family, and some of these
families have more than that number. This step is to ensure that
each child in such homes benefits from this assistance.
Children on public assistance and disabled
children who are attending learning institutions and all
children in institutional care, such as those in orphanages, are
entitled to this benefit.
Guyana
monitoring reports of mysterious illness in Venezuela
The Ministry of Health about a month ago
received unconfirmed reports of a mysterious illness in
Venezuela, in areas close to
Guyana’s North West District.
Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy,
said the reports indicate a mysterious illness, particularly
among the Amerindian communities in Venezuela, and that 38 persons had
died of the illness.
This was reported by missionary health
workers to the Venezuelan Health Ministry, according to the
reports. The Ministry of Health in Guyana is aware of these reports, he
said, but has not been able to confirm the story.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health has
since been monitoring these reports and has established
intensified surveillance for infectious diseases in the Region
One area, particularly along the border with Venezuela.
The Minister said that his Ministry is not
taking any chances in case the reports are true, and it has been
in contact with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO).
This organisation has not been able to confirm that the reports
are true, but is working with the Health Ministry to monitor the
situation.
The Ministry is assuring citizens,
particularly in Region One and along the Guyana/Venezuela
border, that it has not detected any evidence of the mysterious
illness in Guyana. However,
as long as the stories persist, the Ministry of Health will
continue to regard the matter as a risk.
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National Ophthalmology Centre opens this
month
Eye care in Guyana will soon
be boosted when the $140 million National Ophthalmology Centre
at Port Mourant, Berbice, starts offering a wide range of eye
care services later this month.
The centre’s infrastructural work has been
completed, while installation of the equipment has commenced.
Specialised staff to initially man the centre have begun
arriving from
Cuba, and are assisting with
the installation of equipment.
Patients suffering from corrective
refractive error, cataract, glaucoma, retinopathy, retina
detachment, and certain eye defects would be treated at the
Ophthalmology Centre, the first of its kind to be built in the
Caribbean. One of the centre’s long-term plans is to
have eye transplants done.
At present, eye-care is being dealt with
at the tertiary level where services are only available at the
Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Meanwhile, teachers will be trained in the
use of optical charts which will be used as screening tools to
help identify children who may be suffering from impaired vision
and may need glasses or contact lenses.
Health personnel at health posts and
health centres will also be trained to assist persons to get
treated early before complete loss of vision.
The Ophthalmology Centre, which was built
under a Guyana/Cuba health sector agreement sealed in early
2006, will also provide services to patients of neighbouring
countries.
Lake
Mainstay
regatta successful as thousands attend
Thousands of people thronged Lake Mainstay
Resort on Essequibo Coast
on August 3 for the annual regatta where talent in the county
was showcased amidst exciting and thrilling water sports.
The response to this year’s regatta was
overwhelming and discussions are currently ongoing for it to be
held twice a year. The regatta will be a calendar event as it
will do a lot for
Guyana’s tourism development.
The organisers plan to coordinate with the
Ministry of Tourism to ensure that its programme would not in
the future clash with major tourism events on the same day.
Situated in the Mainstay/Whyaka Amerindian
village, seven miles west of Anna Regina, the location hosted a
packed programme that included racing and swimming events,
followed by a two-hour cultural presentation of songs, dances
and drama by Essequibians.
The regatta included 12 boat races and one
swimming competition.
Guyana,
UNDP sign US$7M second social cohesion pact
The Government of Guyana on August 18
signed a three-year agreement with United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to enhance public trust, security and
inclusion.
Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and
UNDP Resident Representative Carlos del Castillo affixed their
signatures to the US$7 million pact at the Office of the
President.
The project will see the collaborative
efforts of the Ministries of Culture, Youth and Sport; Labour,
Human Services and Social Security; Local Government and
Regional Development; Home Affairs and Education; as well as
Regional Development Councils, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils
and non-governmental organisations.
Minister Singh said, of the US$7 million,
US$3.1 million will be appropriated for youth empowerment,
US$1.6 million towards community dialogue and social cohesion
and US$250,000 for reducing risks, by emphasising inclusion and
constructive resolution of conflicts.
He said the remaining funds will be
utilised to finance administrative among other costs.
In his remarks, del Castillo said the
focal points of the new arrangement would include:
-
youth empowerment and
livelihood, which will see the empowering of youths,
particularly women, to participate fully in governance and to
serve as agents for peaceful change;
-
expanding skills
training programmes for youths and women, especially single
parents, to allow for their integration and participation in
positive activities;
-
offering systematic
assistance for youths in developing small and cooperative
enterprises in fragile communities with potentially high levels
of tension and insecurity, among others;
-
enhancing community
dialogue and social cohesion through local capacity for
participation in governance and enhanced community security and
safety, by strengthening local government bodies and Amerindian
village councils, while focusing on assisting both local
governments and communities in the establishment of common
priorities;
-
reducing risks
through enhanced communication and information sharing at the
community level, as well as with responsible media, focusing on
inclusion and the constructive resolution of conflicts.
Canada
Foundation donates to GPHC
Guyana Burn and Healthcare Charitable
Foundation Inc. of Canada on August 19 made another
contribution to the Burns Care Unit (BCU) of Georgetown Public
Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
It comprised two complete computer
workstations for the Nursing Services Office, US$15,000, and a
procedure manual for use as a guideline in the BCU.
In addition, the foundation also organised
a four-day workshop for nurses, counsellors, social workers,
patient care advocates and volunteers in the area of
physiological care, with the focus on reintegration, into the
community, of burnt victims after severe physical or emotional
trauma.
President of the Foundation, Mr. Harry
Harakh, reiterated their commitment to ensuring that the BCU
continues to function efficiently. He said the focus on the BCU,
in assisting financially and through nursing programmes and
equipment, will help provide quality care for patients.
Presently, 25 nurses, social workers and
counsellors from GPHC and West Demerara
Regional
Hospital
are being trained to work with burns patients to reintegrate
them into their communities, he disclosed.
Harakh said the purpose of the training is
to make people who have suffered burns develop personal
strength, despite weaknesses in overt physical attributes and
set up a support system that would offer them encouragement to
build and keep a strong esteem in future.
Topics on the agenda for the four-day
training programme include the role of depression and other
psychological disorders; concept of self-esteem; the role of
change in creating unpredictable and unique problems; how to
build self-esteem in people with disfigurement and determine
what they need.
The ongoing support to GPHC spawns
providing education in burns treatment to nurses and keeping
them abreast with the latest technology and strategies for
patient care and the provision of specialised equipment or
upgrading existing ones as needed.
The BCU was established in 2002, through a
project of the same benefactor, after a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) was signed with GPHC to build and equip it.
Guyana
deemed “hottest” new destination in South
America
Guyana
has once again attracted international recognition with the
attention that it has been receiving at the British Birdwatching
Fair held in London in August.
The country continues to be the “most
talked about booth at the fair with a steady flow of visitors
crowding the stand to get more information on what is fast
becoming the ‘hottest’ destination in South America for birding
and nature tourism,” the Guyana Tourism Authority reported.
While a number of tourists visited the
booth, there were many tour operators who wanted to discuss
organising group holidays to Guyana.
Some of the tour operators included the
Rock Jumper Birding Tours of South Africa, Manu Expeditions of
Peru, Tierra Natuurreizen of Belgium, Algarve Birding of
Portugal, Eustace Barnes Tours, Lionscape Wildlife Tours and
Sarus Bird Tours of England.
The recent three-part BBC series “Lost
Land of the Jaguar” that was done on Guyana was said to be one
of the greatest advertising tool as many saw the documentary and
came in search of the booth.
Many visitors also expressed support for
the Guyana
government’s efforts to preserve the rainforest as they along
with others hope to see this national treasure remain in its
pristine state for the world to enjoy.
Three UK-based tour operators,
Ornitholidays, Naturetrek and the Travelling Naturalist have all
reported that the demand for trips to Guyana has been so great that they
have already sold out their 2008 and 2009 tours.
Further, with the country’s surging
popularity, seven new companies from England including Avian Adventures, Bird
Holidays, Wild Parrots Up Close, Birdfinders, Geodyssey, Limosa,
and the Adventure Company are planning to add trips to Guyana for 2009 and 2010.
Other organisations such as the
Neotropical Bird Club, a UK-based company dedicated to
birdwatching and conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean
has selected Guyana as the
next destination for their yearly club expedition.
30 nations participate in CARIFESTA
The Caribbean Community's greatest cultural show, the
tenth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) was held in
Guyana
during the period 22-31 August. An extravagant ceremonial opening ceremony took
place at the Guyana National Stadium at
Providence, venue of Cricket World Cup 2007.
Over the ten days, the rich cultural potpourri of the
diverse peoples of the Greater Caribbean, with dominant Amerindian, African,
East Indian, Creole and Spanish influences was showcased as contingents from
some 30 countries provide entertainment and education in a variety of forms.
All member states of Caricom were among those
participating in this premier regional cultural event that had its inauguration
in Guyana 36 years ago.
Other participating countries include
Cuba, one of the early hosts of CARIFESTA,
Brazil,
Venezuela, India, China,
Austria and Indonesia, in addition to the Caribbean Diaspora
of the United Kingdom and United States of America.
Amerindians showcase their culture
Guyana’s
indigenous people used the tenth CARIFESTA to showcase their culture to the
world. During the ten days of activities, the different tribes of the Amerindian
nation displayed their rich heritage and culture through performances to
thousands of visitors who visited the Amerindian village, specially constructed
at the Sophia Exhibition Centre in
Georgetown.
Presentations were made from the nine tribes: Akawaios,
Arecunas, Arawaks, Makushi, Wapishanas, Patamonas, Wai Wai, Warrau and Caribs
who came together and presented hours of dances, musical renditions, poetry and
drama, using these to entertain and impart the Amerindian way of life.
Many indigenous items such as ornaments,
herbal medicines, crafts and Amerindian dishes and beverages
were also on exhibit.
A large number of visitors flocked the
benab to learn more about the Amerindian culture while enjoying
unique dishes and drinks prepared by the various tribes.
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