The pruning of forests has grown in way alarming consequence of the increment of the surface given the lumbermen that in 1994 it passed from 2.4 millions to 8.2 million hectares, of a total of 9.1 million hectares of state forests. This means that almost all the state forests have been given to foreign companies in quite prejudicial terms for the country and consequently for the Indigenous people. The quick expansion of the timber industry overcomes the capacity of control of the State thoroughly.

The giant projects

The absence of the necessary studies of social and environmental impact before beginning big projects is almost a constant in Guyana. APA evidenced that the construction of the highway that crosses the savannas and the forests of the south of the country, uniting Boa Seen (Brazil) with Georgetown (Guyana), it has brought big damages against the Indigenous peoples and that besides having put in doubt cloth the supposed economic benefits of the work.

The mining exploitation

During the last years the existence of serious problems of contamination has been denounced with cyanide and mercury, consequence of the mining activities that have been increased in a limitless way. In the practice this measure has been on the outside of the control of the organisms in charge of to trace and to define politicians on the topic.

Recognition of our rights

In the described context, our rights are harmed systematically, particularly our territorial rights and the one of being consulted appropriately on the development projects to be executed in our territories. Some Indigenous people lack of holding of property on their territories and to almost they lack all the acquired areas identification and demarcation. The conflicts with the colonists, miners and lumbermen for the holding of the earth, are more and more sharp and frequent. This happens although the recognition of the indigenous territories was one of the conditions so that Guyana consents to the independence in 1966.

Proposals of APA in forest matter

a) Reduction of the weight of the foreign debt in exchange for concrete commitments for not expanding mining concessions and lumbermen.
b) Suspension of new concessions.
c) Revision of the system of percentage rights and territorial quotas that are at extremely low levels.
d) better monitoreo, surveillance and control of the mining activities and lumbermen.
e) sustainable production Methods at social and environmental level.
f) Conservation of the biodiversity and of the ecosystems