The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission have launched a new mineral mapping project that will help the country identify the available resources, their quantities, and their locations.

This project aims to modernise mineral exploration in Guyana and strengthen the country’s mineral database for better management and investment decisions.

The programme involves gathering, processing and integrating geological survey data, both new and old, across Guyana. Its goal is to support responsible, sustainable mining, aligning with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, emphasised that the project helps balance economic development with environmental protection, which is crucial for Guyana’s future.

“This project ties in perfectly into our Low Carbon Development Strategy, which speaks to sustainable mining, logging, and it is also a roadmap to balancing economic development with environmental sustainability,” the minister said.

He noted that advancing this initiative is seen as critical to the country’s future.

Minister Bharrat said that the project is vital for a small, sparsely populated country where many regions depend on mining.

The government is investing $4 billion in this initiative.

With advanced technology like remote sensing and aerial mapping, the project hopes to pinpoint mineral resources more accurately, close gaps in existing data, and attract future investment

Guyana’s Mineral Advancement and Prospecting Strategy (GMAPS) identified priority exploration areas, like the Takutu Mountains and Coupang.

The new data will help Guyana track mineral reserves, improve investor trust, and guide decisions to benefit communities nationwide.

The mining sector remains a critical source of jobs and prosperity for Guyana, especially in hinterland areas (Modified from the Department of Public Information)