Dear Editor,
While there has been much attention to coastal flooding in the country, not much has been written about flooding in the Rupununi. The seasonal floods in the Rupununi region during the annual rainy season have continuously been affecting region 9, which in extreme cases had adversely affected many communities. The region only experiences one dry and one wet season, where the effects of flooding are felt during the wet season usually extending from April to July. Based on climatic studies in the region, over 80 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the rainy season in the Rupununi. Normally this results in extensive flooding of the immediate landscape, creating huge seasonal wetlands. Although this is a natural occurrence that has many advantages for the natural environment, it has been considered an issue for inhabitants, as livelihoods across the region are affected. In some cases, transportation to and from communities across the region is affected as overland transportation routes are disrupted; at times communication to the town of Lethem, the only regional supply of goods and services is completely cut off. Alternatively, air travel to these communities has proven extremely expensive. Furthermore, flooding also affects the town of Lethem as the condition of the Georgetown-Lethem trail usually deteriorates during the rainy season. Based on past experiences, the prices of goods and services in the rest of the region usually then becomes inflated. Additionally, normal village activity such as agriculture is disrupted, affecting the main economic activity within some villages. Fortunately, the effects of such floods are not life-threatening as in other countries.
To add to the situation, came COVID-19, at a most sensitive time, where the effects of the annual floods are felt simultaneously. So far there has been no reported case of Coronavirus in the South Rupununi, but a general fear has led people to be more sensitive to incoming traffic entering and passing through communities. Partly because of the outbreak in numbers in neighbouring Brazil that has become the epicentre of the disease. Many transportation routes have been cut off due to rising water levels across the region. While this has been limiting transportation across the region, COVID-19 has enforced additional constraints on regional communication. This has further compounded the situation for transportation of goods and services, and communication within the region. Before the rainy season, fear of the deadly virus had caused the village councils of communities of the South Rupununi to implement drastic measures in an attempt to prevent transmission, such as preventing the entry of persons and vehicles in and out of their communities. This was already limiting the transportation of essential goods and services from Lethem to the rest of the region, even before the rainy season.
It is known that indigenous populations are one of the most vulnerable groups to infectious diseases, where health facilities cannot cope with outbreaks. Across in neighbouring Brazil the virus has reached many indigenous territories where there exists poor health facilities, and according to the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples’ Association, it is affecting a population that has a history of being decimated by outside diseases. Conversely, in the Rupununi, many residents have taken to their farms, and unfortunately for some in areas that are threatened by floods in times of severe climatic conditions. Although local businesses are functioning normally, measures enforced by the COVID-19 situation and the annual flooding season, have negatively affected the inflow of essential goods and services into the sub-region.
Therefore, it is up to the leaders to prioritize the continued implementation of systems to prevent the transmission of the virus, while regulating the flow of goods and services. Although the situation is quite new, it must be adapted to in the fight against the pandemic that has been affecting all. Kudos to the Toshaos in the Rupununi for doing a good job thus far during this crucial time, in the attempt to keep the villages safe despite the other challenges.
Yours faithfully,
Timothy Williams
