The rehabilitation of the Cunha canal on the East Bank has been added to the list of projects to be funded with money garnered through Guyana’s forest agreement with Norway, a senior government official confirmed on Monday.
Following Stabroek News’ enquiry a statement was issued by the Office of Climate Change, Office of the President on Monday confirming the Cunha inclusion and addressing other matters.
“It was one of the projects submitted in terms of getting possible funding,” the official said. Stabroek News understands that while the proposal has been made, there are further levels of approval that are necessary before funds are released from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).
The Cunha canal which discharges into the Demerara River from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) has not been working at its maximum capacity for a number of years. Limited capacity had been restored after the disastrous 2005 floods after the canal fell into disuse in 1990. The EDWC serves the functions of a flood control structure and a source of irrigation for agricultural lands during the dry season. The floods of 2005 had resulted in overtopping of the conservancy and prompted action by government to upgrade and strengthen the structure through a number of projects.
In 2009, then Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud had told Stabroek News that improving the Cunha canal had been identified as a priority and that it would take US$1.5 million to complete. He had disclosed that funding was being sought from the World Bank which was working with the UK Department for International Development (DfID) on finding resources for the project. He had also announced that the proposed work would help to significantly drain the EDWC into the Demerara River. At that time, Persaud had said that Cunha, which drains through lands leased to Barama Company Ltd, was operating at 40 per cent of its capacity.
In a recent brief for the project to the GRIF, the government said that the Cunha Canal Rehabilitation Project is an important intervention addressing the focus area of adapting to climate change. The works will improve the ability of the government to manage water resources in the EDWC and protect Georgetown and surrounding areas from the impacts of climate change, the brief said.
“The Cunha Canal is located on the western side of the EDWC and discharges into the Demerara River. Around 1990, the canal was diverted from its original alignment to a smaller discharge channel.
This diversion reduced the discharge capacity of the canal and went into disuse soon afterwards. The discharge through the canal was re-established during the 2005 flood but with a limited capacity as it is affected by circuitous routing, structural limitations and development between the East Bank Demerara (EBD) Public Road and the Demerara River. Rehabilitation of the canal will result in a more efficient functioning of the discharge system,” the brief said.
