Guyana leader in fight for forest-conservation pay

Mexico

Over the last two years, Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo has seemed a human whirlwind as he has tried to earn his country money for protecting its vast natural forests. He has met Britain’s Prince Charles, addressed the UN Climate Change Conference and the World Economic Forum and penned agreements with Norway and the World Bank. In the process, Guyana, a country of just 800,000 located between Suriname and Venezuela, has emerged as a leader in the push to reward nations financially for rainforest conservation in the fight against global warming. But some critics are troubled by the country demanding it be paid for sparing its woodlands from future development. “There is a twisted logic in Guyana’s position,” says Chris Lang, a forestry expert and the... [Log in to read more]

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