By Michel Outridge
WORLD Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Tuesday inaugurated its Guianas Environment Education and Awareness Programme for the small gold mining sector in Guyana, at Hotel Tower, in Main Street, Georgetown.

WWF Guianas Regional Gold Mining, Pollution Abatement Coordinator, Mr. Rickford Vieira, said the focus is on heightening people’s awareness and promoting changes in their practices, especially related to land, water and biodiversity issues.

“This new strategy aims to improve environmental education and awareness in the gold mining sector over the next four years,” he explained.

Vieira added that, specifically, it identifies ways for improving the design, coordination and delivery of education and training to support the achievement of the targets outlined in the project proposal.

It would provide access to information for enhancing environmental sensitivity and creating active and positive relationships between miners and communities and their environment.

The process will encourage communities and groups to participate actively in the awareness building; build networks, partnerships, resources and infrastructure for education and decision-making; support all types of educational activities across all sectors; encourage changes in behaviour, practices and systems, in order to achieve environmentally acceptable approaches to gold mining and place education about WWF and partner conservation efforts to include economic and social issues, Vieira said.

Participants in the forum were drawn from the mining sector as well as other organisations, among them the Amerindian People’s Association (APA).

Vieira said artisanal and small scale gold mining in the territories spawned comprised a significant sector that provides livelihood for a sizeable portion of the population and is typical, in many regards, to similar activities in other developing countries.

He added that the sector has the potential to contribute positively to social and economic development and can earn much needed income in fragile rural economies, although this is hardly ever realised.

“Impacts of small and medium scale gold mining include habitat and land degradation; release of mercury into the environment; increased turbidity of waterways, and socio-cultural issues, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, drugs and crime,” Vieira pointed out.

He said monitoring and enforcement of regulations by government agencies are sporadic and weak while social and environmental impacts are widespread and destructive.

“Illegal mining is an issue of concern and it is believed that much of the gold is traded outside the official system,” Vieira stated.

He said, undoubtedly, the Government of Guyana faces an enormous challenge to transform the sector into an industry that helps to alleviate poverty in hinterland communities and contribute appropriately to the gross national income, but which simultaneously embraces sound environmental practices.

Vieira said WWF Guianas has been part of environmental education and awareness for the small to medium scale gold mining industry in the Guianas since 2000.