World Water Day kickstarts with focus on conservation

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues underscored the importance of sustainable use and management of water as a scarce and precious commodity.

The minister’s remarks came as Guyana joins the rest of the world to commemorate World Water Day, under the theme ‘Water for Peace’.

Minister Rodrigues participated in a walkathon on Sunday morning spearheaded by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to kickstart the week-long calendar of activities.

“Water is extremely important and as we say at GWI, water is life and we have to save it,” the minister stated.

She pointed out a prevailing misconception among Guyanese regarding water abundance due to the country being known as the ‘land of many water’.

She also called on Guyanese to conserve the country’s finite resource.

“Having access to water is one thing but having access to clean water is another thing. We have to remember the importance of water, the importance of conservation and that is what World Water Day is all about. And that is what water peace is all about,” the minister stressed.

Additionally, the minister emphasised that coastal residents often overlook the significance of water, while there is a critical need for potable water in hinterland communities.

To address this disparity, the government, through GWI, has drilled around 75 wells exclusively in the hinterland, resulting in an 86 per cent increase in water coverage by the end of 2023, a notable improvement from the 46 per cent coverage recorded in 2020.

While addressing some of the challenges in providing this essential resource, Minister Rodrigues said squatting can pose a harmful threat to the country’s water sources.

This has resulted in the government allocating significant resources to address the ongoing issue.

This year, $20.57 billion was approved for several projects under the government’s water expansion and management programme.