Sea and river defences have been allotted $1.9B in the 2013 budget.
Finance Minister Ashni Singh on Monday said that critical works will be carried out in Regions 2 to 7 in areas such as Johanna Cecelia, Blenheim, La Retraite and Abary.
He added that mangrove restoration and replanting will entail the planting of 115,000 seedlings in areas such as Devonshire Castle, Lima, La Belle Alliance, Richmond, Anna Regina, Kilmarnock and Bush Lot. This is part of the five year National Mangrove Management Action Plan.
He said that in 2012, the sum of $2.4 billion was expended to reconstruct and maintain critical sea and river defences.
During the year, 189,273 black mangrove seedlings were also planted at selected locations which restored some 9.4 kilometres of mangrove forest. The country’s first geotextile breakwater structure was also completed and made functional.
