The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on Friday announced approval of a grant of US$295,000 ($60.7m) to support climate-smart agriculture here.
The support will be applied to a framework that the Government of Guyana is constructing which will guide the development and implementation of measures to address climate change on the agriculture sector.
In a statement, the CDB noted that the agriculture sector is a significant contributor to the gross domestic product, and also employs a large portion of the population. It added that climate change can have a significant effect on the sector, as most of the agricultural production is concentrated along the coastal plains which are on average 1.4 meters below sea level at high tide. It added that rising sea levels, an increase in the intensity and frequency of rainfall and higher temperatures associated with climate change are already negatively impacting agricultural production. It said that the technical assistance project will enable the Government to identify areas that are the most vulnerable to climate change and to adopt new agricultural practices.
“The project will help the Government to identify specific crops and crop varieties that are most suited to particular regions, as well as activities that are specific to these regions that can be implemented to adapt to the effects of climate change. This will assist the Government in better planning investment programmes in the agriculture sector,” said Deidre Clarendon, Division Chief, Social Sector Division, CDB.
It is expected that the results of the project will be shared through a regional knowledge dissemination workshop, which will bring together agriculture stakeholders from across the Region.
The project is to be implemented over a period of 16 months, the release added.
