–    Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud after visits to Regions Two and Four
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud contends that the investments in drainage and irrigation systems have paid off and the extensive works undertaken in the past years have been justified. According to him, this is in light of the fact that, while there have been impacts following the excessive rainfall over the past days, these have not been as severe.
Persaud spoke to members of the media after a visit to Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) and Four (Demerara/ Mahaica) to further assess the impacts and the current activities to ensure that Guyanese are not significantly affected.
He noted that technical teams are on the ground to offer support and include extension officers from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
The minister engaged residents and farmers from both regions, in Region Two at Lima, and in Region Four at Webster Avenue in Buxton, and assured them of his ministry’s support.
Persaud maintained that the overall response has been swift and resulted in the stabilisation of the situation in the affected areas.

Interventions
He stated that several plans are underway to ensure that water is taken off the land as quickly as  possible.
According to him, pumps are being re-deployed to areas most affected, such as the Clonbrook/ Beehive area in Region Four.
Persaud stated that this section of  the region is one of the few areas that are still under water, but noted that the water is receding.
The minister said a sluice is expected to be put down at Buxton, an undertaking that would be replicated in several other areas.
“In Greenfield we are adding a pump station,” he said.
He added that a persisting challenge has been the slow action by contractors doing works to support the drainage systems.
However, he said the ministry has cancelled some contracts and awarded them to others to ensure that works are completed within a reasonable timeframe.
“Even with this, we need more proactive NDCs (Neighbourhood Democratic Councils) and regional administrations,” Persaudsaid.
He observed that the lessons learnt from the past week will serve to improve the national drainage system, as well as inform the Agriculture Ministry’s master plan for implementation of works.
He stressed that all efforts will be made to continuously improve the drainage and irrigation systems, in response to changes in weather patterns resulting from the climate change phenomenon.
The minister added that his ministry’s initiatives are in addition to the works being undertaken by the Public Works Ministry to improve sea defences. 

Persaud opined that a comprehensive approach is needed to tackle the new challenges arising because of climate change, which poses new threats to the livelohood of the Guyanese people each day

Climate Challenge
“There are many people in several countries migrating because of climate change…in the long term we are going to have to deal with this. We will have to take the dynamics of this phenomenon on board,” he said.
Persaud pointed out that the drainage systems have been structured to deal with just over three inches of rainfall, whereas, with the effects of climate change, as much as eight inches of rainfall is becoming a trend.
Additionally, he described those affected, in particular, farmers, as “climate refugees,” and pointed out that some have had to abandon their activities because their locations were adversely affected because of climate change.
In Region Two, this reality has manifested itself and support is being given to farmers in Warapana and Onderneeming.
Additionally, the improvement of land administration institutions to effectively execute land policies is one of the objectives of the National Development Strategy, with specific emphasis on Agriculture Land Policy.
The effects of climate change continue to impact negatively on the agriculture sector, especially production, aggravating existing challenges.