More Sea, river defence works planned for this year

Flood protection and waterfront development remain high on the agenda for the government, as some 7.0 kilometres (km) of new sea and river defences are programmed for construction this year.

According to a Ministry of Public Works release, these structures are slated to be constructed in areas such as Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, Bygeval and Belvedere, Mahaica; Hope and Chapman Grove, along the East Coast of Demerara, Uitvlugt and Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, among others.

Additionally, some 60 km of maintenance and rehabilitation works will be executed on existing barriers.

In 2023, a total of 5.5 km of new climate-resilient flood protection structures were constructed by the Sea and River Defence Department, while 65 km of structures have been strengthened through rehabilitation and maintenance works.

These critical projects have significantly impacted communities such as Abram Zuil, Essequibo Coast; Uniform, Leguan Island; Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, and Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

New rip rap structures were also erected along the Mahaica – Mahaicony shoreline, between Bygeval and Essex to address the progressive loss of mangrove forest and foreshore erosion.

There have been no breaches of the sea defence embankment during the 2023 fiscal year.

The department has also acquired advanced equipment and employed innovative measures to enhance its coastal monitoring capabilities.

In 2023, additional drones were procured to provide aerial footage of coastal foreshore areas and riverbanks.

Ground data collection capabilities for sea defence condition surveys were also enhanced with the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) handheld receivers.