Is the ISRO Delegation in Guyana Committed to Biodiversity Conservation at the Global Summit?

Georgetown, July 23 (NationPress) A team from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) arrived in Guyana on Wednesday to participate in the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, with the objective of enhancing the collaboration between the two countries in space-based applications.

The summit, running from July 23-25, is headed by Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and focuses on reinforcing international commitments to biodiversity conservation.

The Indian High Commission in Georgetown stated that this visit emphasizes India's partnership with Guyana in areas such as biodiversity management, environmental sciences, climate change, agriculture, disaster management, and various space applications.

The delegation met with Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips to explore opportunities for extending cooperation in space applications across mutually beneficial sectors. They also discussed India's involvement in the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit.

“Key discussion topics included Guyana's leadership in biodiversity and sustainability, management of biodiversity resources, disaster response, early warning systems, climate change, and prospects for technical collaboration between India and Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips shared on social media.

The visiting delegation includes prominent scientists such as G. Srinivasa Rao from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), G. S. Pujar, associated with the Earth Observation and Disaster Management Programme Office, and Sudhakar Reddy Chintala, Head of the Forest Biodiversity and Ecology Division at NRSC.

Amit Shivkumar Telang, the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, was also part of the meeting.

The delegation also engaged with Wendell Samuel, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Integration, Innovation, and Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, discussing potential collaboration with CARICOM in shared interest areas.

The High Commission noted that this visit is a part of India’s strategy to strengthen its partnership with Guyana and other countries in the Caribbean within the framework of India-CARICOM cooperation in science and technology, as envisioned during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit held in Guyana in November 2024, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

During Prime Minister Modi's visit to this South American nation last year, India expressed its willingness to collaborate with CARICOM in applying space technology in agriculture, climate change, and other areas of shared interest.

In November, PM Modi had extensive discussions with President Ali regarding various facets of the multifaceted ties between India and Guyana.

Both nations acknowledged the urgent need to tackle climate change and its global challenges. They recognized their vulnerability to its impacts and committed to working together on initiatives focused on climate change mitigation, adaptation, the promotion of low-carbon development, and the conservation of biodiversity.