— to avoid threat of sea-level rise

AS sea level continues to rise because of climate change, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder believes that Guyanese have to expand the agricultural base to higher ground inland.

“We have to look at climate adaptation which is long term…we have to expand the agricultural base inland, to higher ground so that we no longer have to be threatened by sea level rise,” said Holder during an interview on Voice of Guyana.

Climate change adaptation is a response to global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation as “The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.”

In Guyana, with the impacts of climate change being heavy on the agriculture sector, the minister believes that farmers need to consider investing inland instead of keeping their focus on the coast.

There are, however, many things to consider when moving into the hinterland area since 80 per cent of Guyana is forested and the country is a signatory to conventions which require government to protect the forest.

“We are discouraged from clearing the forest to plant crops which means that expansion in agriculture is limited to the savannah areas…that is where agricultural thrust will be,” said Holder, adding that Guyanese need to look carefully at agriculture since it will be changing radically over the next 10-15 years.

Guyana revolves around rice, sugar, coconut and fisheries, but with rising sea levels and climate change, the agricultural potential is being threatened.

Normally, the tidal situation permits the authorities to drain the land 12 hours every 24 hours, but according to Holder, because of the rising sea levels, Guyana now drains 10 hours every 24 hours. The country has already lost two hours of draining time.
The phenomenon has led the authorities to increase the drainage coefficient from just over one inch to three and a half inches in 24 hours. This, the minister said, would provide security for the coastland.

“What this means is that our cost of drainage is going up and we are paying more to maintain current production,” said Minister Holder, adding that there are many more pumps which are operating now.

He said the rising cost of drainage is not sustainable so two things need to be done and those are installing more pumps and, in the short term, expanding cultivation on the coast.

In order to increase productivity, the minister said the ministry will have to take another 5,000 acres from places like Aurora and another 10,000 acres from Somerset. Over in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) the ministry will also be looking to extend farming land by another 10,000 acres.

There will also be expansions in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).