Outlined in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) was how Guyana intended to ensure that at least 10% of the country’s land area would be under some form of protection. Stated in the LCDS was Guyana’s policy objective of achieving the UNCBD target of having at least 17% of the country’s land and inland water under some form of protection by 2020 and a key milestone to this achievement was the passing in 2011 of the Protected Areas Act. For the first time, Guyana had in place a national legislative framework that allowed for the establishment, management and growth of an effective system of protected areas.

In the NDS 2001-2010 general environmental problems in Guyana were reported as being in two categories viz. resource degradation and resource contamination. Examples of resource degradation cited were overfishing leading to the depletion of stocks especially breeding stocks of commercial species; the deforestation of mangrove swamps, resulting in the loss of habitats for juveniles of important marine species and an increase in the danger of flooding in coastal areas; the over-harvesting of inland forests with a consequential loss of habitats and a reduction of species diversity; and soil erosion, with the attendant decrease in the water-holding capacity of watersheds, thus rendering the affected area susceptible to episodes of flooding and siltation. The most common examples of resource contamination were water pollution from mercury, cyanide and other chemical wastes; untreated human and animal wastes; and agricultural and industrial wastes. The greatest signs of environmental degradation were found to be in the bauxite and gold mining industries.

The decision to sustainably manage the forestry resources to derive benefits for the economy and create livelihood opportunities resulted in Guyana having one of the lowest rates of deforestation in the world. In doing so, the new economic opportunity created through avoided deforestation (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus REDD+) allowed Guyana to be one of the first countries to benefit from financial incentives. Part of Guyana's efforts to prove that payments for avoided deforestation could work was demonstrated under a Guyana-Norway partnership agreement.  In 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in which Norway committed to providing Guyana with result-based payments for forest climate services of up to US$250 million by 2015 in a co-operation agreement between the two countries in the fight against climate change, the protection of biodiversity and the enhancement of sustainable development.  The REDD+ framework was included in the NBSAP as one of the national targets.

The economic importance of ecotourism was first recognised in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2002 (Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers are documents required by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank before a country can be considered for debt relief within the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative)where it was identified as an economic opportunity for Amerindians who were classified as "extreme poor" based a household income survey. The marketing of Guyana’s pristine forests, its fauna and waterfalls was seen as a stimulus to tourism and as expansion of economic opportunities for Amerindians to market their art and crafts, thereby creating employment opportunities. In the PRSP 2011-2015 eco-tourism was once again identified as having promise for employment and growth. To support the nature based tourism products and at the same time ensure sustainable use and conservation of the environment, the creation of a Protected Area Management system (PAMS) was proposed.  Recognition of the growing importance of ecotourism to the economy and more importantly to hinterland communities led to the inclusion of the target related to hinterland ecotourism when the NBSAP was revised.

Described as of immense ecological significance was the fouling of streams by colloidal clay suspensions produced by "de-sliming" of deposits in preparation for final recovery of the gold. The more obvious effects of this fouling were the prevention of the growth of aquatic plants as a result of light exclusion, leading to the "death" of streams; the fouling of fish gills causing death by asphyxiation; the smothering of the eggs of aquatic animals, further depopulating streams; and the displacement of human communities due to the loss of domestic water supplies from streams, and of fish and wildlife.  Hence the inclusion of targets related to air, water quality and land reclamation in the NBSAP.