Low Carbon Development Strategy: Global Witness

Video 1: Introduction of the Low Carbon Development Strategy & contextualiztion of the Global Witness Q&A with President Jagdeo.

Some questions were solicited from people around the world and would be asked at the session if time permits.

Less than a month before the world’s leaders meet to strike a new deal on climate change, campaign group, Global Witness, hosted a public meeting with the President of Guyana, whose country stands to gain if an agreement is reached in Copenhagen on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). The meeting took place in London, and explored the opportunities and risks of REDD, and provided a forum for NGOs, leading academics, government representatives and the press to question the President of Guyana, as well as the leader of indigenous people’s groups, on an ambitious plan to stop deforestation and embark on a ‘low carbon development’ path.

Video 2: President Jagdeo's presentation.

Questions and bacground information sent to Globawitness. Click here to see them.

comment: Unfortunate that this has been politicized to the extent of excluding other Guyanese political parties. In 1989 the previous party proposed IWOKRAMA to the world as a biodiversity conservation area. This is now a poster child of the LCDS. In 2005, Guyana did not even send a delegation to COP10. Pres. Jagdeo was mistaken that the C'bbean Climate Change Center could actually participate in governmental negotiations. So, let's recognize the process of enlightenment.

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Video 5: IED presentation

Constraints presented:

absence of opposition & academia in consultation
difficulties in mechanisms for providing feedback & slow uploading of critical comments on LCDS website

Good things done

Comments: Academia did not have "qualms" to use terminology of the IED representative. It’s amazing that academia was absent from the stakeholders group when capacity building is a key element for the transformative success of the LCDS.

People know about the LCDS because of the widespread media campaign undertaken by the government. However, were they given enough information to make informed decisions or were they given a sales pitch for the LCDS? This point is particularly important given that if one tries to make an assessment of the LCDS, it's a little difficult since the calculations on which it is based are not provided in any of the documents given to the public.

Question by the journalist on President’s own acceptance of climate change impacts was a great question. The journalist commented that in 1997 in Bali, President Jagdeo said he did not believe in climate change. He responded by saying that he was the Minister of Finance then and was a skeptic, and recent events, in particular the 2005 floods, caused him to think more about climate change and recognize its potential impact on Guyana. What people need to understand is that there is a process of transformation that the President himself has undergone. In reference to the 2005 floods in Guyana, click here to learn more. As recent as November 2009 there was a case in Guyana where the government sold land, including a koker. The new owner proceeded to build and block the koker. So, sure there were heavy rains in Guyana in 2005. Let us also recognize that drains are clogged, kokers are silted up, there is no training for measuring flowrates or knowing how much water is actually present or where it can be best released from the EDWC. Building codes are not in place to limit the building of bottom houses (most houses were built on stilts because of flooding), paved surfaces are much more common in residential areas resulting in increased runoff to already clogged trenches etc. etc. etc.

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Video 9: Is the deal a good deal for Norweigian tax payers?

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Comment: Maybe the joint opposition parties, including Raphael Trotman, can pick up the phone and call President Jagdeo on their call for an independent inquiry into extra judicial killings of Guyanese since 1992. See the dossier with names of over 447 unosolved murders, many at the hands of the armed forces. http://www.jouvay.com/lcds/governance/DOSSIERwithout%20pic.pdf

On November 19th, the PNC issued this statement:

"The PNCR has always been in the forefront of environmental issues as exemplified by Iwokrama. However, the LCDS, which Jagdeo is now championing is devoid of any developmental strategy, exposes the deceptive consultation and provides no assurances that there will be transparency, accountability and equitable distribution of the benefits to all the people of Guyana."

Video 12: Tabling of LCDS again in the national assembly so that opposition parties can be involved since they refused to debate on this before.

"the opposition can't pick up the phone and call me" says the President."

Wrap up by everyone.

A day before this interview the opposition called for an independent inquiry into extrajudicial killings in Guyana from 1993 to present. Click here to read their statement on this along with a list of over 300 persons murdered in Guyana. Click here for an EXCEL spreadsheet of this information.