Guyana’s capital faces threat of high tide
Most of Guyana’s population
of about 800,000 live
on a narrow strip of coastal
lands extending from
the far north on the way to
Venezuela running southeast
to the border Corentyne
River with Suriname.
Like neighboring tourism
dependent Caribbean
islands, most of the
country’s infrastructure is
near the coast, including
the crucial rice, sugar and
cash crop sectors.
Late head of government
Forbes Burnham
had in the 1970s floated
the idea of moving the capital
to the northwestern
Matthews Ridge area near
Venezuela and looking out
to Trinidad. The area is
hilly with a natural deep
water harbor beckoning.
Guyanese balked at the
idea backed then, saying
they had had no intentions
of leaving the breezy capital
to live in the mosquitoinfested
jungle. Now the
issue is on the table once
again, with the Caribbean
Community warnings
about the effects of global
warning on the region
lingering. Any rise in global
temperature about 1.5
degrees Celsius, argues
Caricom, could spell doom
for the region as coastal
communities would be
swamped by flood waters
and coral reefs would
bleach to death.
Similar high tide warnings
are also in effect in
Trinidad and Barbados.
In Trinidad, especially,
fishermen have taken to
repairing boats and equipment
while they wait out
an angry sea. The same is
true for Barbados to the
east.
“The ministry provides
its assurance that
the sea and river defense
department will continue
to actively pursue the
required measures to mitigate
the impacts on flooding
on coastal communities.
Residents of low-lying
coastal communities are
advised to take the needed
precautions during the
remainder of the spring
tide period,” Sharma said.
MEET THE BREAST CANCER TEAM THAT WILL BE WITH YOU FROM DISCOVERY TO RECOVERY
Caribbean L 18 ife, NOVEMBER 1-7, 2019
Residents of a fl ooded house use a makeshift bridge to avoid the surged water at the East Coast Demerara
district of Georgetown, Guyana, Monday, Jan. 24, 2005. Associated Press / Ken Moore, fi le
Continued from Page 1
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