Status of Tropical Forest Management 2005

Latin America & the Caribbean

Guyana

Guyana

©UNEP-WCMC 2004

Guyana has a broad forest resource base and large growing-stock of hardwood timber. It has introduced and implemented a well-designed forest management and control system in its timber production forests. However, there is a gap between the well-functioning core staff of the GFC and the industry that has to implement forest management in the field. Political and social uncertainty, lack of secure tenure, lack of understanding and awareness, lack of skilled labour, outdated management practices and, recently, a difficult economic environment have imposed major challenges for the achievement of SFM. Progress is being made in improving forest harvesting practice.

Key points

  • Guyana's forests are still largely intact.
  • The PFE comprises an estimated 5.45 million hectares of production forest and 980,000 hectares of protection forest. A further 7.35 million hectares of state forest have not yet been allocated.
  • Uncontrolled gold mining is a significant cause of forest degradation and environmental pollution.
  • At least 520,000 hectares of production PFE and 243,000 hectares of protection PFE are being managed sustainably.
  • A detailed management provision and control system has been elaborated but is inadequately implemented.
  • Progress is being made in the training of logging operators.
  • The area of totally protected forests is low and there is not enough control and management in protected areas.
  • The national forest policy is widely accepted as a sound guide for the forest sector but is yet to be fully implemented.
  • A new forest law, which would establish a forest concession system in place of the current TSAs and WCLs, has been drafted but is yet to be enacted.