The recent deployment of power ships to stabilize coastal Guyana’s national electricity grid was a stark step by the Government of Guyana to address the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) rapidly dysfunctional electricity demand and supply. However, spare a thought for the other Guyana – hinterland communities like Mahdia, Campbelltown, Monkey Mountain, Kamarang/Warwatta and Moruca, to just name a few, who struggle with unreliable electricity and water systems, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and manmade pollution that amplify their vulnerabilities.
We all know that climate change is not a distant threat for Guyana; it is an immediate and pressing challenge, particularly for hinterland communities. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events threaten the very systems that support life and livelihoods. In Mahdia, for example, the impacts of climate change are starkly visible. According to a recent Stabroek News article, the town’s outdated Salbora Spring gravity-fed water system just cannot cope, leaving residents reliant on alternative sources. Compounding the issue, Mahdia’s (and Campbelltown) energy infrastructure, dependent on solar and diesel generators, has proven to be insufficient to power ground water pumping and filtration to alleviate water scarcity. Similarly, Monkey Mountain and Moruca face compounded challenges as climate change induced erratic rainfall patterns, when combined (in Moruca) with unreliable power supply has disrupted small-scale water collection systems, leaving residents vulnerable to shortages during dry spells.
Kamarang/Warwatta, like many other communities which are dependent upon rainfall and rivers, creeks and other surface waters, while still susceptible to the vagaries of climatic disruptions, must also confront the residual impacts of mining and its inherent pollution to the aforementioned water sources. To address these challenges requires a comprehensive policy framework. The government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) offers a starting point, emphasizing renewable energy and sustainable development. By aligning the LCDS with investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, policymakers can ensure that hinterland communities are equipped to withstand the growing impacts of a changing climate and other manmade disturbances. But it doesn’t stop there. It might be useful for the government to consider integrating solar energy with water storage systems which ought to offer a powerful, climate-resilient solution for addressing water scarcity and ensuring consistent access to clean water in vulnerable regions.
Potentially, solar-powered pumps can draw water from underground aquifers or surface sources during peak sunlight hours, channeling it into strategically designed storage tanks. These tanks, insulated and elevated, can preserve the water for later use, effectively decoupling water availability from fluctuating energy supplies, irregular rainfall or polluted surface water. By combining the reliability of solar energy with the buffering capacity of water storage, communities can secure a steady water supply even during prolonged dry spells or other climate and or manmade-related disruptions. This integration not only reduces dependency on fossil fuels but also mitigates the impacts of erratic weather patterns, which are becoming increasingly common due to climate change. It needs not be restated that the use of solar-powered water storage systems is particularly advantageous in our hinterland regions.
While the power ships represent a radical step, it ought to have been part of a broader vision that prioritizes inclusive and sustainable development. Had the power ships been leveraged alongside localized renewable energy solutions and climate-resilient water infrastructure for the hinterland regions, a blueprint could have been created for addressing the interconnected challenges of energy, water, and climate change.
It might also have lifted the percentage of renewable energy use in the country from the current disgraceful 5% which was admitted to last week by Prime Minister Mark Phillips.