Guyana’s sea and river defence strengthened in 2021

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, MP, said government will continue to work with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the European Union (EU) to finance sea and river defence works here.

In 2021, the country’s sea and river defence was strengthened with some 6,695 metres built and the maintenance of 64,651 metres of structure.

In December, Guyana received $1.7 billion from the EU in budgetary support. Most of the funding disbursed will go towards strengthening Guyana’s sea and river defence.

Minister Edghill said government will do all it can to achieve the country’s development agenda.

“As a government, we are not going to be hamstrung where development of Guyana is concerned. Guyana will be developed in a sustainable way, in a responsible way and while in some development we may lose a few mangroves, we will be planting more mangroves.”

He said government is not callous on the destruction of mangroves as it recognises the importance of the country’s sea and river defence.

“We value mangroves, we will plant more mangroves and where development is taking place where mangroves will be destroyed, we will have to have some compensatory effect to ensure that everything is done in a sustainable and in an orderly manner.”

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, after receiving the budgetary support from the EU in December, said the funding will assist in improving the lives of Guyanese. He said it would also offset Guyana’s expenditure to defend the country’s coastal zone from the intrusion of the Atlantic Ocean.