Guyana's forests are capable of providing a wide range of social, economic and environmental benefits. The project will ensure that these benefits are optimised through effective and efficient planning and management of the forest resource. In the absence of the project inequitable short term gains may result at the expense of sustainable and equitable long term benefits.

The GFC is the national authority responsible for ensuring that State forest is managed sustainably and equitably. Its role is to guide, service, monitor and regulate the provision of forest benefits. The GFC has not fulfilled its mandate adequately due to a lack of trained staff and supporting institutional and policy framework. There is therefore a risk of degradation of the forest resource, as has occurred extensively in many other countries.

The project will address this problem by direct assistance to the GFC, and by supporting associated institutions in training (e.g. the University of Guyana) and in the provision of information (via the Tropenbos-Guyana research programme).. If successful, the project will secure a wider and increased range of forest products and service, distributed more equitably and in particular, targeting the poorer Amerindian communities.

The need for assistance in the forestry sector has been noted repeatedly over the last decade. The Regional Forestry Sector Study and the more recent National Forestry Action Plan produced under the Tropical Forests Action Plan put the highest priority to strengthening the GFC. CIDA initiated an Interim Forestry Project to provide general sector support until such a project could start. A DFIDC-DFID project identification mission agreed the forestry sector should be included in DFID’S overall programme of assistance to Guyana.

Guyana's forest resources managed sustainably for the benefit of local, national and international communities.

The Guyana Forestry Commission effectively fulfilling its mandate to promote sustainable, ecologically sound and socially integrated forest management systems.

• National Forest Policy and Forest Law revised.
• GFC structure and functioning strengthened.
• GFC procedures and capabilities strengthened.
• Forest sector training capacity strengthened.
• Forest information systems developed.