Dear Editor,
the Brazilians have built a dam a few hundred kilometres south of Konashen almost in the middle between Konashen and Manaus. This dam, Balbina, inundates an area of 2360 square kms and is ideal for producing electricity for the implementation of a rail system from Manaus to any part of Guyana. This dam could be the source of electricity for all of Guyana.
The Rio Summit could well be the springboard for the diplomatic discussions/negotiations on the requirements for such a project, since there has been mention of a link by road from Manaus to Guyana as the gateway to the Caribbean and the USA, for the export of cargo from countries around the Amazon basin.
The reason a railroad will be more viable and productive is that it will stand up to the event of a rise of water level due to incessant rainfall which is usually the cause of bridges being washed away and roads made incapable of use by traffic.
Hydro power in Guyana is not conducive to intelligent planning for economic development of a country beset with rivers that are all subtributaries of the mighty Amazon river and can be seen simply as inviting a total collapse of what is already on the periphery of the abyss.
Constructing a dam in Guyana is not only a total waste of resources but will eventually do more harm.
Because of the readily available elements for the making of rain such as salt from the Atlantic and the north east trade winds, along with the dust particles from the burning of cane for harvesting, deforestation and large scale mining the recipe for rain becomes more potent since these are combined and taken to the higher elevation to meet with the freezing temperatures of the Andes which just happens to be the longest and most extensive mountain range in the world and where the dust particles become frozen and resist further updraft and come back down in the form of rain.
This is explained in some detail by visiting the following site:
The building of a road to Lethem or for that matter any road leading to the interior is and will continue to be a waste of expertise and money as long as the salt from the ocean is available and the dust particles from the mining and cane farming industries continue to expand. Global warming is another component that can be factored into this equation.
The talk of mass production of ethanol and the need for hydropower to sustain massive mining of bauxite and smelting operations are the nails in the coffin that those responsible for the welfare of the populace will be providing when such projects come on stream if careful thought is not given to the delicate balance of the overall ecosystem.
The lull in the flood situation in Guyana at the moment is the result of the water finding other places in the Guiana Shield to inundate but it will return to Guyana soon.
Those who are responsible for the implementation of socio – economic development in Guyana need to be more cognisant of long term applications rather than band aid solutions.
Yours faithfully,
A Michael Tannassee
