Understanding Climate Change (Part XVII)
Guyana’s LCDS: Priority Areas for Implementation
Adaptation
IN PREVIOUS articles, we introduced Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and identified the priority areas for implementation over the next two years. On May 24, 2010, the third draft of the LCDS was released and launched by His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo.
The revised draft of the LCDS places greater emphasis on implementation, and outlines priority areas for addressing climate change. This week, we will discuss priority areas to support adaptation to climate change.

Background on adaptation

In previous articles, we emphasized the importance of adaptation efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, especially for vulnerable developing countries like Guyana.

Guyana is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change for many reasons. Approximately 90% of the country’s population resides on the Coastal Plain, much of which lies 0.5 to 1 metre below mean sea level.
The coast is also relatively flat, which favours rapid accumulation of rainfall runoff, and which makes natural drainage into the ocean very difficult. This situation presents severe challenges to our drainage and irrigation system.  Over the years, high levels of flooding were observed in the country, especially along the coast and in some inland areas. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this situation, with increased frequency and intensity of flooding events.
Approximately 75 per cent of the country’s economic activities are located on the coastal area, where the major economic activities, such as agriculture, fisheries, commerce and industry are located. These sectors are extremely sensitive to extreme weather events and sea-level rise, and are therefore highly vulnerable to changes in climate.
Adaptation is crucial to the survival of the most vulnerable countries, and so needs sufficient and sustained funding so that countries can plan for and implement adaptation plans and projects. Projected global costs for adaptation are estimated at approximately US$75-100 billion per year for the period 2010 to 2050 (World Bank, 2009).

According to Guyana’s LCDS, by 2030, the annual loss due to flooding in Guyana is projected to be US$150 million (or close to 10 per cent of current GDP).  Additionally, an extreme event similar to the serious flooding that occurred in 2005, which resulted in losses equivalent to 60 per cent of GDP, could result in some US$0.8 billion in loss and damage, and cause harm to more than 320,000 people.

The LCDS sets out Guyana’s adaptation challenges – including US$1 billion in overall infrastructural development needs, and about US$300 million of priority requirements.

As noted in a previous article, the climate change conference which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009 (COP 15), ended with an Accord that  commits developed countries to provide “new and additional” financial resources of $30 billion by 2012  for developing country actions to reduce deforestation, deploy clean technologies, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.   A commitment was also made to provide $100 billion annually by 2020 for climate financing.

If a properly scaled UNFCCC REDD+ mechanism emerges, Guyana intends to use part of its payment for forestry services to self-finance adaptation investments. Until such time, Guyana will seek the resources pledged in the Copenhagen Accord for adaptation.

The Government of Guyana is currently identifying what adaptation measures should be prioritized for the period 2010-2012. These will be summarized in a comprehensive Climate Adaptation Plan, to be completed by the third quarter of 2010. These will include:

1.       Upgrading infrastructure and assets to protect against flooding through urgent, near-term measures (US$225 million)

This initiative includes maintaining and upgrading the intricate drainage and irrigation system of Guyana, and entails the construction and rehabilitation of sluices, kokers, revetments and embankments. It will also require the empoldering of some areas and continuous dredging and de-silting of Guyana’s major rivers. Smaller but crucial rivers that protect major farming areas from flooding such as the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary Rivers will also benefit from river defence investments under this initiative.

In addition, the sea wall which protects most of the low-lying coastal areas from the Atlantic Ocean will be reinforced. Groynes to reduce siltation of outfalls will be constructed and additional drainage pumps will be installed in strategic locations across the coastline.

The East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) which protects Georgetown, the East Bank and most of the East Coast from excess water among other functions, will be upgraded in line with the recommendations coming out of the Conservancy Adaptation Pre-investment Study, which focuses on the design of specific adaptation measures for the EDWC. Other conservancies around the country will also be strengthened.

2.      Hinterland Adaptation Measures (US$10 million)

These initiatives include the development, propagation  and distribution of plant varieties and crop management techniques that are suitable for the hinterland communities, thereby ensuring the sustainability and further development of their livelihoods.

In addition, all-weather roads and bridges, which are crucial for farm-to-market  transportation,   will be constructed.

In order to improve the capacity of hinterland communities to prepare for and deal with the impacts of more extreme weather events, training and educational programmes and the introduction of additional drainage and irrigation equipment in particularly vulnerable areas will be undertaken.

Under this initiative, the government will also pursue solar and wind power for water distribution, facilities for rain water harvesting, and the creation of systems that will guarantee access to safe drinking water during crisis situations. Possible environmental impacts from climate change will also need to be incorporated into building designs, particularly for clay, sandy and loam areas.

3.      Addressing systematic and behavioural concerns (US$33 million)

These initiatives include significantly revamping Guyana’s early warning system and improving the timely and accurate collection and dissemination of data and information on weather-related events and their impacts on the ground. In addition, an emergency response system will need to be set up that will minimize the risks to public health, ensure that crucial civil structures such as the major infrastructure, safe drinking water systems and electricity and communications networks are maintained in a functioning state. Appropriate training and education of the wider population will also be provided

4.      Developing innovative financial risk management and insurance measures to resiliency (US$10 million)

These initiatives will include the conceptualization and introduction of instruments suitable in the Guyana context, that will aim to introduce incentives to avoid and reduce all possible sources of risk up front while aiming to transfer risks that are outside of the control of individuals and firms to third parties, which will then compensate the insured after an eligible extreme event occurs. Significant investments will need to be channeled towards training, data collection and transmission systems, particularly in relation to vital weather and hydrological information.

5.      Switching to flood-resis
tant crops (US$10 million)

These initiatives will include the funding of research to identify flood and drought resistant crops that are applicable to the Guyana, the creating of floodproof germplasm banks and the introduction of new technology that allows for cultivation of crops during prolonged flood and drought conditions.

Ongoing initiatives
Apart from these planned interventions, Guyana has been involved in adaptation for many years.   Each year, billions are spent in sea defence works to protect the vulnerable coast, as well as in drainage and irrigation infrastructural works and conservancy management.
At a policy level, the government has begun work on disaster risk management planning and the preparation of a flood response plan.
Institutionally, a Civil Defence Commission has been established and is in operation.  The CDC functions as part of a wider coordinated inter-agency group that addresses disaster planning and response.
At the sector level, the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing an Agricultural Diversification Programme which seeks to reduce our reliance on traditional crops on the vulnerable areas on the coast.  The ministry is also preparing a Climate Adaptation Plan which will be completed later this year.
The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has been involved in land use planning over the last six years and is expected to develop a national land use plan under a recently approved project.   That commission also recently completed an early warning systems baseline study which will set the stage for further work in this area.

Next week, we will continue to discuss Guyana’s LCDS and Guyana’s efforts to address climate change.

*Information used in this feature was extracted from the following reports and sources: Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (2010), World Bank, Mckinsey & Company,  International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), UNFCCC.

Prepared by the Office of Climate Change, July, 2010
For additional information, please contact:
Office of Climate Change, Office of the President
Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown
Tel. 223-5205
Email: info@lcds.gov.gy, Web Site: www.lcds.gov.gy