The Iwokrama Rainforest Programme is gaining ground. The programme offers great scope for a proper study in a practical way of the sustainable use of forestry resources - a study that can be of immense value to the people of Guyana and the world at large. The commitment of the Government of Guyana to the protection of the environment has led to the decision to expand the Kaiteur National Park to include the watershed landing into the fall. We are currently considering proposals to create a protected area in the Kanuku mountains. And on a broader scale, efforts are now being directed to design a system of National Parks and Protected Areas for the country.
Environmental protection is everybody's business.
Its level of achievement depends on the level of participation of all groups in society. I wish to make a special appeal, firstly, to those who are involved in different areas of economic life. Government is seriously trying to improve conditions to allow for increased production. We are facilitating efforts by big and small entrepreneurs to enter into new areas of production. Each activity has potential for environmental degradation, and monitoring and enforcement are very costly exercises.