Stabroek News Sunday

Mangroves are a great asset

- Dear Editor,

No doubt about it: “Guyana’s mangroves are a global asset.” So it is perfectly in order that “A $60 million Mangrove Centre has been constructe­d at the National Agricultur­al Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.”

Quickly let me share available and trusted informatio­n for our readers.

First, when there are right environmen­tal conditions, mangroves can store the carbon they took from the atmosphere for decades, centuries, or even millennia. They protect against extreme weather and disasters, are a haven for threatened animals, boost food security, and have the ability to bounce back naturally.

Then mangroves provide natural infrastruc­ture to help protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as hurricanes. They are also important to the ecosystem too, as their dense roots help bind and build soils.

Editor, let me add one more (of the many things in this mangrove conversati­on). It is that mangrove forests act as a physical buffer between marine and terrestria­l communitie­s. The trees protect the coastlines from severe weather events as well as slow down erosion. The mangroves provide valuable protection for those nearby communitie­s that are prone to storms and are at risk of sea-level rises. As a matter of fact, it is well-documented that wide areas of mangroves help reduce tsunami heights, thus aiding to reduce loss of life and damage to property in areas behind mangroves. The dense roots of

mangroves help to bind and build soils. The above-ground roots slow down water flows, encourage deposition of sediments and reduce erosion.

Bottom line: The People’s Progressiv­e Party/Civic must stay on this line of developmen­t, and I am glad to note Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips “… posited that the facility displays Government’s commitment to restoring Guyana’s mangrove industry, lead in forest management and climate change. The PM explained quite rightly that “Guyana’s mangroves are a global asset.”

Now, concerning this $60 million Mangrove Centre, the press has that “… the initiative is part of a collaborat­ive effort with the Guyana Conservati­on Initiative (GCI), facilitate­d by Iwokrama, and funded by ExxonMobil, to implement a Strategic Plan for Agricultur­e and Rural Statistics (SPARS) and develop an Integrated Agricultur­e Informatio­n System.” Added to this, “The centre will also serve as a hub for research on mangrove restoratio­n, secure coastal areas, generate economic opportunit­ies and support bio-diversity.”

The list is quite impressive: expanding beekeeping in mangroves through a partnershi­p with Cuban beekeeping experts and GLDA; contributi­ng to the scaling up of Guyana’s honey production; and integratin­g mangroves into the landscape, (thus) ensuring recreation­al space for all Guyanese.

Let us not forget that Guyana is very multi-dimensiona­l, and therefore Government must be very balanced in developmen­tal style and strategy. I too, like the PM, “… call upon every Guyanese to take pride in preserving these invaluable ecosystems. Together, let us ensure a legacy of environmen­tal harmony and prosperity for generation­s to come.”

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