Marta Miranda, with Alberto Blanco-Uribe Q., Lionel Hernandez, Jose Ochoa, and Edgard Yerena Venezuela is home to one of the last large blocks of the earth's original forest area. This frontier forest is found in Venezuela's Guayana region, south of the Orinoco River, and contains 75 percent of the country's plant species. The region, however, is threatened by ongoing extractive activities in the areas of gold and diamond mining, logging, and oil exploration as well as highway development. The current five-year plan of the Venezuelan government calls for even further development of the region to improve the local and national economy, including plans for increased agricultural production and the establishment of new settlements along the nation's border. This report analyzes these plans, taking into account the realities of current forest resource used and the possible environmental and social implications of increasing the intensity of resource extraction in the region. The report also details the nations' current forest policies, its logging, mining and zoning laws, and the collection of royalties and fees on the use of natural resources, national parks, and natural monuments. The report recommends alternatives for managing the Guayana region sustainably. 1998 / 60 pages |
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