1235

A historic move in the battle to save tropical rainforests

Guyana and Norway in the second stage of a deal whereby Norway would make annual payments to Guyana to keep its forests.

This week afurther historic step is taken in the battle to hang on the world's remaining tropical rainforests. It is unlikely to make too many headlines, but on Friday two countries will take forward the kind ofarrangement that many have talked about but few have had the boldness to actually do.
Guyana and Norway's leadership is seen in the second stage of a ground-breaking deal through which one (Norway)makes annual payments to the other (Guyana) to keep its forests. The amount of money to change hands is calculated on the basis of how well Guyana has done in holding back deforestation, and the valueof that in terms of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. A complex calculation is made to determine how well the recipient country has done but this year $40m is being transferred.
Guyana spends themoney paid by Norway - a total of $250m spread over a period of years - on projects that will help with environmentally sound development, for example through funding solar panels on all the housesbelonging to the indigenous people. In remote rainforests these are no fashion accessories. They are the means for children to read books at night and mark the end of the kerosene lamps and candles whichcause indoor air pollution and fire hazards.
There is also money to connect remote settlements to the internet, again powered with solar electricity. There is money to pay for the costly job oflegally demarking Amerindian lands and there are plans for health, education and business support. The overall strategy is geared to keeping the forest intact, and thus the priceless services they providefor the entire world. Any rational economic calculation must conclude the world is getting the bargain of the century.
Without this kind of support from Norway, the pressures on the forests might...