Dear Editor,
It was reported in the media that Mr. Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture is heading a task force to conduct a rapid assessment of the physical works necessary to enhance the quality of life of those living in the country’s capital city, Georgetown. A report is expected to be tabled for consideration as soon as August 17 – a tall order.
One of the problem areas which is expected to be reported on and discussed for urgent action is a proposal to protect the City and its suburbs from recurring flooding due to heavy rainfall, over-topping of the sea wall as well as lax management of operation and maintenance of the drainage system.
With respect to recurring flooding of the City, recommendations have already been made in several reports including a 2015 submission by a Dutch Risk Reduction Team (DRRT) which emphasized that the existing poor drainage of the City should be tackled from the planning stage to implementation. The past Government has claimed that during its tenure it had updated the country’s sea defence and disaster risk management policies and planning. Unfortunately the evidence suggests otherwise since Georgetown continues to experience yearly flooding from intense rainfall and over-topping of the seawall as the seawater flooded not only the East Coast Demerara highway but such areas as Bel Air Springs and Subryanville.
The recently prepared (DRRT) Report is available and it details what should be done to alleviate the flooding of Georgetown. What is urgently needed is not another inter-ministerial committee to regurgitate what is already known and should be done but funds to implement the recommendations already made.
The stated objective of the newly-elected Government is not to be engaged in time-wasting exercises but to direct its efforts and resources to identify Guyana’s outstanding problems and to take action to resolve them expeditiously.
Global warming is pushing up the Atlantic Ocean level and many unprotected low-lying areas along Guyana’s coastland including Georgetown will become submerged. As the ocean level rises, powerful coastal storm surges and extreme high tides with crushing waves will be able to reach farther inland as is presently happening at Mahaicony, putting the people, crops, livestock and millions of dollars in assets at risk to periodic flooding and causing serious economic damage. Minister Mustapha should be aware that although the average Atlantic Ocean level is rising relatively slowly, flooding risks from high tides, storm surges and breaking waves will become more frequent and intense. Therefore, action has to be taken now to protect the lives and property of Guyanese living along the coastland including Georgetown by building adequately designed seawalls, elevating homes and/or assisting the people to retreat inland.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Sohan
