When I was about 10 years old, one of my favourite movies was Fern Gully. The basic plot followed the cartoon heroine and her animal friends as they worked to save their rainforest from the evil logging company.
This was probably my first introduction to the idea of the rainforest, so it isn’t unexpected that during my journey to Kaieteur Falls I couldn’t help but think back to this movie and my childhood. For me, travelling through the rainforest by foot or by water is like being transported into a different world, beautiful and exotic.
It’s unfortunate then that the evil logging company of Fern Gully has an equivalent in the rainforests of Guyana.
Along with logging, mining is a critical issue in Guyana when it comes to the preservation of the rainforest. Gold and diamonds have been mined here for many years, and gold is one of Guyana’s largest exports.
As I travelled, it was impossible not to notice the rusty, cumbersome excavators or the sandy scars across the land replacing what should be swathes of trees. Not only does this type of mining diminish the forest, but it results in land degradation and the loss of habitats for some creatures that are unique to Guyana – the golden frogs, jaguars, and many different birds. As well, the issues that accompany the mining camps and towns are numerous – child labour, forced prostitution, transmission of diseases and STIs, etc.
Every year, more and more rainforest disappears and the effects of mining become more obvious. Perhaps some of those foreign companies and governments with interests in Guyana (looking at you, Canada) should consider human rights, good governance and environmental conservation over profit.
More reading:
Canadian Exploitation in the Mines of Guyana – http://www.coha.org/21247/
How Guyana gold mining threatens its green future – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15852970
Formerly forest – now an abandoned diamond mine.
Scars on the land – mines as seen while flying into Mahdia
Travelling for Travel's Sake 