WWF Guianas Partners with GGMC and SEES

WWF Guianas Partnered with GGMC and SEES to Address Health Issues in the Small-Scale Gold Mining and Gold Jewellery Industry

On Thursday, April 4, 2007 WWF Guianas held a ceremony at the National Library Annex in Georgetown Guyana, to hand over two pieces of equipment to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) of the University of Guyana. Present at the ceremony were the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Samuel Hinds, Dr James Rose, Vice Chancellor, University of Guyana, Mr Edward Shields, Executive Director, Guyana Gold and Diamond Manufacturers Association (GGDMA), members of staff of the GGMC and SEES, and persons employed in gold jewellery manufacturing.

These items were purchased for WWF Guianas collaborating partners as part of a larger project to prepare an up-dated and detailed data base of the gold jewellers and small-scale gold miners across Guyana to facilitate regular monitoring, promote education and awareness and ascertain the use and level of mercury contamination among gold jewellers and small-scale miners with a view to assessing their health and well being among other issues.

The equipment procured for GGMC is the LUMEX RA915 plus mercury analyser with attachments RP91 and RP91C while SEES received Model III CVAFS Mercury Detector with supporting equipment and chemicals. The two pieces of equipment were handed over to Mr. William Woolford and Dr Mark Bynoe of GGMC and SEES respectively to assist in tracking mercury contamination among small-scale gold miners and gold jewellery manufacturers.

This grant for the purchase of the equipment was provided under WWF "Guianas Sustainable Forest Resources Management Project", a regional initiative funded by the French Global Environmental Fund (FFEM), Dutch Global Environmental Fund (DGIS) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This current initiative builds upon the support WWF-Guianas has already provided to the gold mining sector over the past four years to undertake activities linked to the promoting sustainability and the need to focus on alternative techniques to promote greater efficiency and effectiveness in occupational health and safety.

WWF Guianas remains dedicated to sound environmental stewardship in Guyana and supports the Government and all the relevant agencies tasked with the responsibility of utilizing the nation's resources and protecting its environment. In keeping with this commitment we also strongly support Guyana in promoting sustainable livelihoods especially for those dependent upon the country’s natural resources.