For years, Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo has issued urgent appeals to the developed world to fight global warming by helping rainforest nations protect their wilderness. His calls bolstered a strategy known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Redd) to the top of the agenda at last December’s United Nations climate meeting in Mexico. They also helped prompt Norway’s 2009 commitment to pay Guyana up to US$250 million over four years to curb mining, timber and agricultural activities that are harming forests. But a new deforestation report has prompted some to question Jagdeo’s commitment. The report, prepared for Guyana’s Forestry Commission, concludes the country increased its deforestation rate against a historical average by 200% in 2010 while receiving an initial $30 million installment... [Log in to read more]
