The greening of Bartica must not be left to chance

Dear Editor,

When Bartica was identified by President David Granger to be Guyana’s first Green Town, it meant that any and every new green initiative should be modelled first in Bartica. The town is expected to be an example to the rest of the country and the Caribbean; it must be seen as Guyana’s pilot Green Project.

This objective is achievable well within five years, given the small population and few infrastructural changes required of the town when compared to other municipalities. A serious approach by all stakeholders, should have seen 50% of our short-term goals achieved. It is regrettable that some have not either understood the vision or are deliberately forging ahead with selfish ambitions.

For the benefit of the reader, The Greening of Bartica short term goals are as follows:

1. Sustainable land use planning, which takes into consideration cross-cutting issues which are likely to affect water quality, air quality, access to transportation, economic vitality and quality of life, as we pursue the development of our community.

2. A change in policies with respect to infrastructural development, building design/construction standards and types of materials used, eg, incorporating green building codes in constructing houses for more energy efficient homes, while our road designs must include but not be limited to sidewalks, cycle lanes, etc.

3. Ongoing community engagement and education, which are important for awareness, ownership and buy-in to this initiative.

4.Transitioning our power supply to renewable energy and promoting the implementation of energy efficient measures at all levels.

5. A change in purchasing policies in keeping with standards for Green Public Procurement, to ensure our purchasing decisions cause minimal damage to the environment, eg, replacing government vehicles in Bartica with fuel efficient hybrid vehicles and possibly electric vehicles, and creating an enabling framework so that similar actions can be taken by residents.

6. Maintaining close working relations with central government to craft policies and incentives to promote green investment in Bartica.

7. The creation of green spaces, a park and recreational facility.

8. The implementation of an integrated solid waste management programme.

Most important to all of the above, is sensitization and stakeholder engagement. A populace educated about our green programmes, will make governance at the local level less burdensome.

Residents will better understand the vision and why we do what we do.

The question therefore is, what is greening?

The green economy is defined as an economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. In other words it is the process of transforming from the traditional development model, to one that is more sustainable with people at the centre.

For example, when buildings are powered by renewable energy and street or building lamps are LED lights, it reduces the energy demand

which in turn decreases our dependency on fossil fuel. The burning of fossil fuel emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which is the number one contributor to climate change.

The greening of Bartica must not be left to chance. It’s a vision that requires the support of all stakeholders; after all, Bartica is just the pilot, a Green Guyana is a good life for all.

Yours faithfully, Gifford Marshall Mayor Bartica