As pressure to improve environmental conditions in the world’s developing nations comes to the fore, region-specific issues like the environmental conditions in some of the world’s biodiversity hot spots like Guyana get magnified.Guyana is a country about 83,000 square miles in area that shares a border with Brazil in South America. As such, the environmental conditions in Guyana are seen as very important indicators towards the overall health of the Amazon basin and its millions of plant and animal inhabitants.
Now, the issues that are seen in Guyana are akin to a healthy person undergoing an unexplained weight loss phase. The latest trends are so worrisome, you no longer have to go there to get a sense of the impending calamity. Here are some of the most pressing environmental conditions be-plaguing Guyana today:
- Water pollution. The parallel rise of agricultural production together with the growth of industries is resulting in a water crisis that can significantly affect the country in the next few years. The primary pollutants are sewage and agricultural chemicals but deforestation in the area is also a big factor in the equation. Very soon, you no longer need to plan for a South Africa travel to find a savanna; all that you need to do is head down to South America and what was once lush rain forests are now reduced to flat lands with little trees, upsetting the water balance and compromising water sources for future generations.
- Extinction.Guyana is home to many species endemic to the region but its fast disappearing forest cover can quickly change this. Wildlife preservation is now becoming a hot button for many international agencies and local governments but unless the trend can be reversed quickly, we will not have many species to save in the future.
- Coastal problems. The northern portion of Guyana borders the South Atlantic Ocean and extends the Venezuelan cost down to French Guiana and Brazil. This is an area that is being heavily threatened by environmental issues arising from man-made activities. Fishes that once thrive in cerco casa coral reefs are dying because of habitat loss in the area.
- Urbanization. The rapid growth of cities creates a whole new set of problems including noise pollution, the urban heat island effect and smog. As real estate prices boom in Guyana, the effect of pollution can very well push people to get PPI protection owing to the expected devaluation of property prices as cities become less livable due to these worsening environmental conditions in Guyana.
Modernization is a blessing that uplifts the quality of life of many people as long as it does not happen at the expense of the environment. With environmental problems, one can just as well forget the amenities in life like signs that say “buy premium Kratom capsules here.” The environment is fragile, and it is the great equalizer for each and everyone. If the trends in Guyana will not be addressed and reversed soon, there are sure to be problems that will spill into the Amazon, which in turn can destroy one of the world’s biggest treasure trove of natural beauty. Almost certainly, that’s not news that anyone would welcome to hear.