US$1.6B needed to tackle climate change
Technical Officer of Climate Change, Shane Singh, making a presentation as members of the head-table look on. At left: Climate Change Officer, Kandila Ramotar, Head of the Office for Climate Changem, Janelle Christian, and Executive Director of Global Economic Cooperation, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rawle Lucas
Technical Officer of Climate Change, Shane Singh, making a presentation as members of the head-table look on. At left: Climate Change Officer, Kandila Ramotar, Head of the Office for Climate Changem, Janelle Christian, and Executive Director of Global Economic Cooperation, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rawle Lucas

US$1.6B will be needed over the next few years to ensure Guyana remains resilient against the adverse effects of climate change, Kandila Ramotar, of the Office for Climate Change said.

There phenomenon is tackled through mitigation and adaptation.

While Guyana has been more on the side of mitigation with its green initiative and gradual shift to solar power, adaptation is yet to be fully initiated, said Ramotar.

She was at the time speaking at a media workshop organised by the Office for Climate Change and the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISB) on Saturday at the Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.

Media workers were told that within 2015-2020, the sum stated earlier will be needed for “priority adaptation investment”.

Ramotar said more systems are needed in order to anticipate the adverse effects of climate change and take appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage they can cause, or take advantage of opportunities that may arise.

Studies have shown that well planned and early adaptation action saves money and lives.

According to the European Commission, examples of adaptation measures include using scarce water resources more efficiently; adapting to building codes to future climate conditions and extreme weather events; building flood defenses and raising the levels of dykes; developing drought-tolerant crops; choosing tree species and forestry practices less vulnerable to storms and fires; and setting aside land corridors to help species migrate.

BEING TESTED
Some of those measures are being tested by Guyana, Ramotar said, pointing out that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has been proactive in ensuring they increase the country’s sea defense by eight millimeters each year to accommodate the rise in sea level.

Members of the media at the climate change workshop on Saturday

The work of the Ministry is complemented by the assistance of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in addressing the sea and river defense systems by increasing the resilience of the coastal and riverine areas.

Ramotar said the strengthening of sea and river defenses is necessary because a study in 2012 showed that due to climate change, water levels are expected to rise by 40-60cms/1m by the turn of the century.

The same study revealed that temperatures are expected to increase by four degrees Celsius, which will result in more extreme weather patterns, a decrease in the average annual rainfall but very heavy showers when it rains.

She pointed out that a new study is being done which will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). They are however optimistic about better results from the new research.

Adverse effects of climate change are nonetheless affecting Guyana said officials of the Climate Change Office. Recently Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) suffered tremendously because of unexpected heavy rainfall. This resulted in farm lands, houses and livelihood being lost.

An earlier example of the global phenomenon was the local flood in 2005 which resulted in the loss of housing, agriculture, lives and other social elements.

According to the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean, during the said period, Guyana suffered a loss of 60 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
The events and research revealed Guyana’s vulnerability to climate change, which was described as “particularly vulnerable”.

Head of the Office for Climate Change, Janelle Christian said climate change is a threat to small Islands, developing states and least developed countries.

“Guyana is located in a tropical climate which is influenced by ocean and atmosphere interactions which result in extreme weather events… we are inherently vulnerable because of the sea level which is compounded by climate change,” she said.

The reduction of vulnerability can however be achieve through the full implementation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), said Christian.
This plan was established under Paris Agreement on climate change which is geared at enhancing adaptive capacity, resilience and reducing vulnerability, with a view of contributing to sustainable development and ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the context of temperature goal.

According to the Head of the Office, Guyana’s response to the issue of climate change has been good so far, given that in 2016 the Government completed the draft climate resilience strategy and action plan, which is a framework identifying priority area for adapting and building resilience to climate change impacts over a five-year period.

The Office for Climate Change is also in the process of preparing a monitoring and evaluation framework, a national agricultural strategy for enhancing climate change management through disaster risk management, among other things.
In addition, Guyana is among 10 countries benefitting from a climate change adaptation programme funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC).

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