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I INTRODUCTION A workshop on the Management and U t i l i z a t i o n of Aquatic P l a n t s , sponsored by the N a t i o n a l Academy of S c i e n c e s (NAS) of the United S t a t e s and the N a t i o n a l Science Research C o u n c i l of Guyana (NSRC) was held i n Georgetown, 15 - 17 March 1973 T h i s was the f i r s t such c o o p e r a t i v e en- deavor undertaken by the two c o u n t r i e s A major aim of NAS programs c a r r i e d out by the Board on Science and Technology f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development (BOSTID) i s to b r i n g d i s t i n g u i s h e d U S s p e c i a l i s t s and t h e i r c o u n t e r p a r t s i n developing c o u n t r i e s together w i t h host-government s e n i o r o f f i c i a l s from planning and t e c h n i c a l departments and l e a d e r s from the e d u c a t i o n a l , i n d u s t r i a l , and other i n t e r e s t e d communi- t i e s to d i s c u s s o p p o r t u n i t i e s and problems i n applying s c i e n c e and technology to economic and s o c i a l development Aside from the v a l u a b l e exchange of i n f o r m a t i o n and experience i n h e r e n t i n such g a t h e r i n g s , they provide a forum f o r j o i n t d e l i b e r a t i o n s on the formulation of a l t e r n a t i v e p o l i c i e s f o r con- s i d e r a t i o n by the governments of the p a r t i c i p a t i n g developing c o u n t r i e s , and by b i l a t e r a l and i n t e r n a t i o n a l a s s i s t a n c e agencies The Guyana meeting was noteworthy i n that i t was the f i r s t NAS workshop to focus s p e c i f i c a l l y on one c r i t i c a l t e c h n i c a l problem I n 1972 Dr Ptolemy A R e i d , Deputy Prime M i n i s t e r and M i n i s t e r of A g r i c u l t u r e of Guyana, i n d i - cated to the USAID M i s s i o n to Guyana h i s i n t e r e s t and t h a t of h i s government i n a p p l y i n g the l a t e s t s c i e n t i f i c and t e c h n i c a l knowledge to removing the l a r g e amount of v e g e t a t i o n clogging Guyana's waterways and c o n v e r t i n g i t to use- f u l products ''Ì he NSRC of Guyana and the USAID M i s s i o n i n t u r n requested NAS - 1 -
a s s i s t a n c e i n reviewing the c u r r e n t knowledge of p r o c e s s i n g a q u a t i c v e g e t a t i o n and recommending c o n t r o l and u t i l i z a t i o n programs s u i t a b l e for Guyana The NSRC agreed to host the workshop and i n v i t e d the NAS to j o i n t l y sponsor the a c t i v i t y A BOSTID s t a f f member v i s i t e d Georgetown i n January 1973 to confer with the NSRC on workshop d e t a i l s The Governing Board of the NAS approved the workshop a c t i v i t y i n February 1973 The NAS panel of seven s p e c i a l i s t s , l e d by Dr Gerard A R o h l i c h and a s s i s t e d by s t a f f o f f i c e r s Noel Vletmeyer and Rose Ameser, v i s i t e d George- town 18 - 25 March 1973 Before and immediately a f t e r the workshop , panel members had the opportunity to v i s i t a sugar e s t a t e , the Botanic Gardens (to observe manatees), and an a g r i c u l t u r a l r e s e a r c h s t a t i o n I n a d d i t i o n , the Bookers Company flew p a n e l i s t s over the waterway systems, g i v i n g them a comprehensive view of aqua t i c weed problems i n the West Demerara ar e a A b s t r a c t s of background papers and a resume of the d i s c u s s i o n s a r e inc l u d e d i n a volume of proceedings to be published by the Na t i o n a l Science Research C o u n c i l of Guyana l a t e r t h i s year T h i s i n t e r i m r e p o r t by NAS to AID i s t h e r e f o r e l i m i t e d to h i g h l i g h t s and e s s e n t i a l information of i n t e r e s t to AID - 2 -
