The government has set aside $2.9 billion in this year’s budget for the country’s sea and river defence systems.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh stated during Friday’s budget presentation to the National Assembly that critical and emergency works will be carried out in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the scopeof works will include the replanting and protection of some 10 km of mangroves in Regions 2, 3 and 4.
He said the government will also continue to implement its 45-year National Mangrove Management Action Plan aimed at protecting the tropical species against human degradation.
The mangrove secretariat is currently fine tuning its plans as the organisation awaits the approval of the second tranche of funding from the European Union (EU) which is funding the project.
Singh said that last year some $2.7 billion was spent on the sector on approximately 10 km in sea and river defence works across the coastland including at Hope, Mon Repos and Triumph villages on the East Coast Demerara.
