Forests worth more than gold

01/03/2010

The decision has been made to ban gold dredging in the forests of Guyana, following campaigns from local villagers – backed by the Zoological Society of London.

Now, two PhD students from the UK, Rob Pickles and Niall McCann, have lent their support to a plan to turn Guyana’s forests into the largest carbon sink on the planet. In order to conserve the native forests, which absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide and provide habitats for a wide range of important species, greater financial incentives are now needed, claim the students.

The Guyana government is keen to receive financial incentives for their forests to remain standing, despite the claim that the unique habitats and carbon absorption capability makes the forests more valuable than the money that can be made from the land.

The campaigners believe that unless the government is provided with other financial incentives from richer nations, they may be forced to concede to industry pressures for the land in the future.

McCann and Pickles warned, "the Rewa Head currently lies in a logging concession. Unless Guyana is given alternative financial incentives, its government will be forced to lease its land to oil drillers, miners and loggers.”