Guyana spending another $300 million to replant trees at mining pits near Mahdia

Another $300 million was allocated in the 2025 National Budget for the reforestation of areas in and around Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni), Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat revealed on Friday.

The disclosure was made when he was questioned about a $1 billion sum set aside for “other” spending under the natural resource management programme head. Opposition Parliamentarian David Patterson asked him to disaggregate this sum.

In response, Bharrat said $300 million would be used for land reclamation and reforestation, $735 million for continuing a mineral mapping exercise, $5 million for advertising, and $5 million for a review of local mining regulations.

“This [$300 million] allocation will go towards a similar reclamation exercise in Region Eight in the areas surrounding Mahdia, or within the boundaries of the township [where] there are large mining pits,” the Natural Resources Minister said.

Last year, $300 million was allocated for land reclamation and reforestation in Region 10. Bharrat said Friday that about 30 acres of land were reforested with about 2,000 seedlings.

He also boasted of the much lower cost of reforestation. This exercise, he said, usually costs between $15 and $20 million per acre, but it was done for less than $10 million per acre.

In these ventures, mined-out areas must first be filled before trees are planted there.

Additionally, nurseries are set up so that appropriate seedlings can be grown and then translated at the sites. And the ministry doesn’t want to grow fast-growing species so it is investing in trees that will be around for much longer.