Science and Technology Inequalities: A Brief Guyana Perspective

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Science and Technology Inequalities A Brief
Guyana Perspective

• John Caesar
• Department of Biology
• Faculty of Natural Sciences
• University of Guyana
• jccaesar_at_yahoo.com

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Predominantly coastal population
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Beautiful Guyana

• Rich biodiversity
• Architectural heritage
• 90 population are on coastland
• 75 of national infrastructure in vulnerable zone
• Commercial centre
• Seat of government
• Major industrial centre

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Basic data on Guyana

• Population - 741,000
• Land Area - 216 000 km2 UK230,500 km2
• Total Forest - 16.8 Million Ha
• Forested Area - 78.5 (76.73)
• Area per Capita - 19.7 ha
• Ethnically diverse/multicultural-
• Indo-Guyanese,
• Afro-Guyanese,
• Amerindian,
• Chinese,
• Portuguese
• 9 Amerindian tribes -
• Wapishana, Macushi, Wai Wai,
• Carib, Arawak, Patamona,
• Warrau, Arecuna, Akawaio

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Guyanas biodiversity richness




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Guyanas cultural diversity
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Guyanas cultural diversity
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Guyanas STI ethos?
Enshrined in the Constitution -
Preamble Create a republican community
practically aware that the finances industry,
communication, education, business and technology
of the world are the global factors affecting all
in which all must engage and from which all must
benefit
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Guyanas Constitutional Ethos for Addressing STI
Inequalities
Every citizen has the right to work the
right to work is guaranteed (iv) by consistent
implementation of scientific principles and new
and appropriate techniques (v) by
continuous education and training of citizens
Article 22 Women and men have equal rights
Article 29
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Some Drivers of STI

• ICT
• Biotechnology
• Agrobiotechnology
• Medical biotechnology
• Global ecology

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1 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness
Guyanabalance sheet
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Taxonomies of ST Research Innovation

• Basic research applied research Development
  paradigm recognition by policymakers of a long
  gestation period
• Innovation
• Research invention innovation
  entrepreneurship investment development
• technological change
• Godin 2006 Science, Technology Human Values vol
  31

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Science and technology governance

• President as Head of State is the de facto
  Minister. The President is assisted by an Adviser
  who is a ranking member of Cabinet and also the
  Convener of the Natural Resources and Environment
  Advisory Committee chaired by the Prime Minister.
  
• National Science Research Council is dormant

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Some Public ST Institutions Structural
inequality issues

• The Institute of Applied Science and Technology
• National Agricultural Research Institute
• Guyana Rice Development Board
• Food Drugs Dept., Ministry of Health
• University of Guyana
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Hydrometeorological Dept., Ministry of
  Agriculture
• Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest
  Conservation and Development

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Addressing Inequalities International
partnerships
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Guyanas Limited ST Brain Gain ST Mobility

• Science Technology Institutional capacity
• Science Technology Brain gain
• Prof. Godfrey Bourne Biodiversity
• Prof. Suresh Narine - non-resident Director, IAST
• Dr. Maya Trotz Hg contamination research
• Local ST brain gain? NARI-UG MoU

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ST for Reducing Guyanas Socioeconomic
Inequalities

• Agroenergy policy
• IAST biodiesel
• NARI agrotechnology transfer
• Photovoltaics in hinterland
• NSERD lab equipment for schools
• Human well-being?
• ICT4D Strategy

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Biodiesel being promoted commercially - pilot
project a success IAST has been approached by
Zimbabwe, Liberia and Papua New Guinea to set up
plants.
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Some Challenges

• Guyanas geography/Topography
• Infrastructural capacity
• Financial resources
• Competing development projects
• Lack of social support?
• Inadequacy of science education policy
• Lack of adequate parental interest in science

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Addressing Distributional Inequalities The case
of Indigenous peoples

• Establishment of a dedicated Ministry of
  Amerindian Affairs
• Amerindian Act
• Community Development Officers
• Telecommunications competition Mobile phone
  penetration in hinterland

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ICT4D Strategy

• To promote the development of ICT services and
  businesses to increase job opportunities and
  generally to improve the economic and social well
  being of Guyanese.
• To improve the delivery at and access by all
  citizens to Government and other public services,
  including information on government activities
  and opportunities, public health, education and
  social development services.

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ICT4D Strategy

• To improve the competitiveness of existing
  Industries and to facilitate the sustainable
  development of new enterprises, thereby
  supporting economic diversification.
• To increase Guyanas international
  competitiveness in the delivery of goods and
  services to the global marketplace

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Some ICT challenges

• Cost reliability of electricity
• Broadband access
• Americas II fiber optic cable
• Telecommunications monopoly competition issues
• Affordability of IT equipment
• Utility challenge of Govt. in US Federal Court on
  IDB loan for ICT!

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Take over our rainforest GUYANA'S
EXTRAORDINARY OFFER TO BRITAIN TO SAVE ONE OF
THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT CARBON SINKS
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Estimates of Guyanas Forest Biomass Carbon
stockGibbs et al. 2007 Environmental Research
Letters vol. 2

• Estimates based on harvest data
• 2494 M t C (million tons of carbon)
• 3742 M t C
• 3354 M t C IPCC 2006 estimate
• Estimate based on forest inventory
• 923 M t C

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Gold mining Deforestation2006 income from
forestry selective logging US63M
2007 Income from Gold exportsgt US215 M
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The Iwokrama Model
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Acknowledgements

• ResIST Team
• Vice-Chancellor University of Guyana
• Professor Downes and SALISES team
• All who have nurtured shaped my humble thoughts
  Prof. Laing Prof. Juma et al.
• THANK YOU!