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– Flood management efforts are expected to be strengthened, complementing government investments in the sector – Minister Mustafa
The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday held a meeting with representatives of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Infrastructure for Resilience in Island States (IRIS) project to discuss a project aimed at developing a strategic sustainable integrated national drainage and irrigation system in Guyana.
Guyana is one of the first countries to implement this grant-funded project, which aims to support the Ministry of Agriculture in developing an integrated drainage and irrigation strategy for 2025-2030.
The project is being implemented by IRIS through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Infrastructure Resilience Acceleration Fund, with funding from the governments of India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union totaling $499,989.
Speaking to those in attendance, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustafa said the project is designed to be in line with the 2030 low-carbon development strategy and promote collaboration among ministries in drainage irrigation and flood management.
“The Government of Guyana recognises that adaptation and flood management are critical to Guyana and its citizens as it develops a low-carbon and climate-resilient development trajectory and continues to make significant investments in capital and other works to support integrated sustainable solutions for drainage and irrigation.
It is hoped that the project will support and complement the government’s investment.
GGGI has supported the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in integrating nature-based solutions to protect Guyana’s coastal assets and communities and we are very grateful for the funding provided by IRIS and CDRI,” he explained.
He also said that while the project aims to develop a strategic, sustainable and integrated national drainage and irrigation system for Guyana, it will also complement efforts to move food production systems forward in line with CARICOM’s Vision 25 target of reducing Guyana’s food imports by 25 percent by 2025.
One of the project’s five objectives is to support the NDIA in developing and publishing an updated Integrated Strategy for Drainage and Irrigation (ISDI) and enable asset monitoring and data collection systems to help drainage authorities implement their ISDIs and prioritise nature-based solutions and social inclusion in D&I systems.
Meanwhile, NDIA Chairman Lionel Wordsworth said the floods that hit Guyana in 2005 exposed the vulnerability of the country’s coastal areas.
This led to subsequent infrastructure interventions, such as the Hope Canal, which have proven to be vital and valuable in recent years, he added.
The NDIA Chairman also stated that through funding from the Government of Guyana, the NDIA is currently working to develop similar drainage interventions to the Hope Canal in other areas along the coast.
Project Manager Ronald Cumberbatch also noted that a strategy is currently being developed in collaboration with the NDIA and other stakeholders. The strategy is a key component of the project and will be completed by the end of 2024.
Technical research and data collection activities to inform the development of the strategy have already begun.
The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of March 2026, will also enable the ministry to achieve its goals within LCDS2030 and provide national strategic leadership in agricultural production and flood management.
This will also facilitate capacity building of engineers working under the NDIA.
CDRI is composed of 39 member countries and seven international institutions, which provide technical support for the projects it funds and implements.
CDRI launched its second call for project proposals at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Antigua and Barbuda. The deadline for submissions is the end of August 2024.
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