RECENTLY it occurred to me that the regular professional critics, particularly the ones that would assail the PPP/C administration for every flood situation that arises in this country, have suddenly fallen silent. And quite for some time too. Well, they must have finally seen the light , especially against the background of the billions being spent by the administration for sea defence and other related works, and the realisation that climate change had begun to leave its calling card. The effects of climate change are being felt on every continent, for example the United States, where floods have been ravishing so many of its cities. Quite an unlikelihood for such a developed country, one may say.
The new millennium has been a fearful witness to some very angry responses from mother nature, inclusive of the devastating earthquake in Indonesia in 2004, that occasioned a deadly tsunami that washed through the Indian Ocean Archipelago, accounting for well over 375,000 lives; Guyana’s great flood in 2005, Katrina, also in 2005, that left Louisiana resembling the aftermath of the apocalypse; the Kashmir earthquake in the same year that registered 79,000 deaths; in 2008, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, formerly Burma, that washed away 138,000 citizens; and eight days later, a 7.9 quake in China’s Sichuan province that took 80,000 lives.
It was no different in 2010: impoverished Haiti further decimated by a massive quake that crushed 300,000 lives; Northern Pakistan visited by chest high floods that displaced over 3,000,000 persons; and Russia’s hottest summer in over one hundred and fifty years, that caused threatening crop failures. Even Trinidad in the latter 2010, had its floods visitation.
Now, recently it has been Queensland in Northeast Australia that is battling the visitation of a “biblical” flood, as has been so described, with its main city, Brisbane, on Tuesday, devastated by an inland tsunami. This latest climate change effect, was described by an Australian meteorologist as impossible to predict, due to the nature of the storm and rising sea levels, “for which there is no forewarning and foreknowledge of these events”
This tsunami that has left survivors clinging to trees and posts; of cars being swept away, of properties being smashed and families waiting on roofs to be rescued has thus far accounted for 13 lives and 78 persons missing, and has caused Brisbane’s main river to overflow, due to days of rainfall. Should such natural disasters occur in well developed nations?
This question is asked, because of the perception and belief by many that floods, particularly, only happen in poor/developing countries. Absolutely untrue! Climate change behaviour has definitely dispelled such notions. Who can control days of seemingly, unending rainfall, that will inevitably caused rivers to overflow, despite the well built levees and dams?
There is no doubt that all continents will continue to receive deadly visits by such natural phenomena, compliments of climate change. Yet, despite such unnatural climate behaviour and the severe results, the PPP/C administration is very pro-active, as it continues to ensure that safeguards are effected throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, against the ominous threat of climate change weather. It is very challenging, especially against the background of very large volumes of rainfall over very short intervals. Not even the local naysayers can dispute this occurrence. They do not have an answer to such. Who does?
The PPP/C administration, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, must be complimented for mitigating efforts.