THE Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) wishes to respond to the article titled, “Guyana should not be experimenting with Geotextile structures for coastal protection as their effectiveness had not been recognised” in the Stabroek News dated Sunday, August 26, 2012.
According to the Financing Agreement between the European Commission and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the overall objective of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project, is to “abate climate change (Carbon sequestration through reforestation and forest perseveration) and mitigate its effect (sea defence, biodiversity)”. Further, Guyana has a specific Sea and River Defence Policy, which calls for alternative solutions to traditional, hard structures.
Mr. Sohan clearly is entitled to his published opinion regarding geotextile structures, but he reaches the wrong conclusions. For example, he recognises that building dykes “does not come cheap.” This is exactly why Guyana needs to work with new technologies that can provide cost-effective alternatives. Geotextiles and Geotextile-based structures have been used for a wide variety of coastal structures, in many parts of the world, for at least 30 years. Just because Guyana has no experience with them does not mean they are unproven technology. The use of sand-filled Geotextile tubes in soft soil conditions is one of the most exciting applications that can be beneficial to Guyana. Of course, they need to be tested here, and for this reason the claims by the Ministry of Agriculture that they are “intended to provide information as to their suitability for further use” is exactly the right response for Guyana. Hence,the GMRP is keeping in touch with the objectives set out by the European Union in the Financing Agreement.
In response to a few of Mr. Sohan’s other accusations, there was, in fact, a selective tendering to marine contractors having the capability to accomplish this type of construction. This was done through the National Procurement & Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) located at Main & Urquart Streets. His assertion that tubes are unproven for coastal protection is completely false. Proceedings from numerous coastal conferences, reports from PIANC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the vast number of case histories that can be found through a quick search of the internet prove this point. Further, pilot projects set up in Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia have reported their success on the use of Geotextile tubes as detached breakwaters.
The design at Victoria is based on observations of mangroves in other parts of Guyana in similar oceanic environments, in particular, Strathspey. In this location, the old concrete seawall was allowed to disintegrate and is now a sloping, broken rubble revetment that provides protection to the thriving mangroves behind it. This demonstrates that a low-elevation, protective structure can provide suitable conditions to the mangroves. In turn, the mangroves and high foreshore provide protection to the upland. In many locations along Guyana’s shoreline there are no mangroves and the foreshore has dropped in elevation allowing larger storm waves to impact the seawall. This leads to overtopping and more loss of foreshore leading to larger waves and more overtopping and eventual failure. Guyana cannot afford to build and maintain seawalls along every inch of shoreline using traditional methods. For this reason, experimental approaches, based on successes in other countries, should be tried as part of a larger effort to improve the resiliency of coastal zones.
As part of the project’s protection efforts,the GMRP has been working with communities along the coastline who utilise the mangrove forest, to find alternative livelihood options which would not destroy the forest.   These interventions include tourism, apiculture and agro-processing activities.   The proposed Golden/Grove Belfield Mangrove Reserve coupled with the Mangrove Reserve Producers won the Tourism and Hospitality of Guyana Environmental Award 2011 and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Biodiversity Award 2012.  We encourage Mr. Sohan and others to visit us at the Mangrove Visitors Centre, Cove & John and experience the Mangrove Heritage Trail Tour for a first-hand experience of what many have acclaimed as a unique and exciting experience.
Mr. Sohan, please note that the apiculture programme does not claim to harvest honey from newly planted mangrove trees as these would not have reached maturity to start producing flowers.  The individuals involved in apiculture establish their hives in the mature forest.  Since its birth, the Mangrove Reserve Producers Group have sold approximately GYD2.2M of their products which included coconut oil, honey, bees wax candles, green seasoning, cassava bread, and pepper sauce to name a few of the items marketed.  The economic activities derived from this project may seem very trivial to Mr. Sohan, but for the women in these rural communities who benefit, it’s indeed significant.
The Government of Guyana is committed to protecting Guyana’s shoreline and will continue to invest in new technologies to increase the options available.  Mangrove management and protection will continue to be a significant part of this programme and we wish to encourage all Guyanese to get involved in mangrove protection.