As the government pursues a holistic approach to fixing Guyana’s drainage system, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder yesterday met a Dutch Risk Reduction team, which is here in a consultancy capacity.
According to a press release from the ministry, the visit by the team from the Netherlands is in response to a request for assistance which Patterson made in July. In his correspondence, the release said, Patterson sought assistance in a number of areas, including urban drainage, hydraulic and coastal engineering, water resource management and planning and disaster and risk management.
The meeting, which was held at the Agriculture Ministry, saw the ministers and three-member Dutch team of Rob Steijn, team leader; civil engineer, Fokke Westebring and social scientist, Judith Klostermann meeting with nearly two dozen local officials, including engineers from across the administrative regions, the release said.
It was noted that said a presentation on Guyana’s drainage was made, during which both local and international players shared information and posed relevant questions on the way forward. Of significant importance to the visiting team were the highlighted causes of flooding in Guyana, which included an increase in impervious areas; infilling of drains; reduction of maintenance; use of drains for refuse disposal; establishment of illegal housing on drainage reserves; relative rise in sea levels; and inadequacy of secondary and roadside drainage systems.
During remarks, the release said, Patterson recalled that in July of this year, Guyana recorded about eight inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours.
“Arising out of that, the government felt that it was time we had a more holistic view, not only of George-town but the nation,” the release quoted him as saying. He added that while work would have been done in the past to address Guyana’s drainage issues, a more “comprehensive” approach was urgently needed, hence the partnership with the Netherlands.
According to the release, Steijn emphasised the importance of proper water management to a nation’s development.
Before the team leaves Guyana on Friday morning visits would have been paid to local agencies, including the Guyana Hydrometrical Depart-ment. Additionally, the visitors will be taken to different sites and afforded a flyover to get a better understanding of Guyana’s drainage system, the release said.
At the conclusion of the visit, the team will make recommendations.
The release noted that over the last decade Guyana has seen extreme weather events leading to massive flooding in 2005 and other years. The Netherlands has enormous experience with drainage because of its low-lying northern lands and engineers from the Netherlands have worked on Guyana’s sea defence in the past.
