Executive Director of Conservation International Dr David Singh is of the view that effective upgrade of sea defences is one of many measures that Guyana could undertake to help combat the effects that climate change brings.
In particular, he said that the heightening of the sea wall to cater for the rising seas as a result of climate change is one that should be looked at. But he acknowledges that such an undertaking might be beyond the coffers of the state and dependent on donors. He said that the nature of donor funding disbursement makes successfully implementing such projects difficult.
Further, Dr Singh said that it is for the engineers to calculate the height that the existing sea defences need to be raised in order to withstand higher sea levels.
He said that when the sea defences were built in the 1950s they catered for a certain degree of overtopping, and now that there has been a general increase in the level of the sea since then, the structures are inadequate. He said that because of the rise, existing sea defence structures are put at additional pressure.
This inadequacy of the sea defence has led to salt water intrusion, he said. “Yes, we can build higher sea defences but we must also look at other options as well,” he said, adding that with the population concentrated on the coast, it would be difficult for the country to move its capital inland for fear of being overtaken by the sea. “A suite of different approaches is needed – one of them is to invest more in sea defence,” Dr Singh said.
He pointed out that by virtue of having higher tides, the period for gravitational drainage will be less and because of this, many other outfalls are needed. Dr Singh noted too that sea defence structures in Guyana are in emergency mode and this has been the case for a very long time.
Dr Singh said that the private sector needs to start participating in the process of adaptation to climate change, and spoke of insurance companies lowering premiums for people who build houses in low risk areas and according to specific building codes.
Speaking to business leaders during the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry dinner on February 12, Dr Singh noted that after the January 2005 floods, Habitat for Humanity Guyana took a policy decision to raise foundations of its houses by one metre. “Soon after the floods receded there was much effort to resurrect attention on the National Building Code and have it firmly applied. I hope we don’t have to wait for another flood to verify that the Code has been applied with rigour,” Dr Singh noted.
He said that with the potential devastation of crops from emerging diseases and from highly unseasonal weather, much research is being undertaken to produce more resilient varieties of crops and noted that the Government is working with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to address this.
Dr Singh said that countries like Guyana must find relevant and real economic opportunities for poverty alleviation before they can respond positively to the global challenge of reducing carbon emissions. He said that forests represent a national asset whose carbon stock constitutes a global value.
Making the point that Guyana could capitalise on the carbon trading market, Dr Singh said that since the Bali Meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change back in December, countries with low deforestation and degradation rates are now seen as more attractive sources of carbon sequestration in a future trading scheme. “The carbon stock of the Guiana Region is estimated to 20.9Gt per year and by focusing on the creation and implementation of projects that maintain a high forest cover, the region stands to open up billions of dollars worth of carbon credits annually,” he said. “But this is only possible if we embrace the principles of sustainable development.
For Guyana to benefit proportionately, we must embrace the principles of ethical forest governance, where we are committed to demonstrating sustainable forest management practices, a regime of conservation and community-owned and managed areas, and a robust system of monitoring and regulation.”
Dr Singh believes that it is now Guyana’s time and within the context of the international agenda for negotiations of the terms of the carbon trade. “I believe that we have 18 months to two years to take up this challenge and make it work for Guyana,” he said.
Guyana has been in the headlines recently for President Bharrat Jagdeo’s forest offer to the world in the fight against climate change. (Johann Earle)
