WHETHER the effects of climate change, a shift in weather patterns over Guyana, or the result of an earthquake off the coast of Barbados, there is no doubt the rainfall experienced across Guyana’s coastline during the course of this week was historic in its measurement, with noticeable increases over the last four years. In light of this fact confirmed by officers at the national hydrometeorological centre, senior official at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Fredrick Flatts is calling for a relief of the bureaucratic hold on implementing effective disaster risk management.
Flats pointed out to Guyana’s coastland being below sea level as being enough reason why the county must have systems in place at all times to deal with significant rainfall. Flatts was part of a three-member panel on the National Communications Network (NCN) last evening at the time of his comments.
“We have to have a system that is very efficient where our pumps are operational at all times,” the NDIA head said, while explaining the extreme case of having to go through the tender process for the repair of sluices or pumps, when the flooding has already begun.
Another panellist, Operations and Training Officer at the Civil Defence Commission, Major Kester Craig, called for a link of disaster risk management, and disaster risk reduction to sustainable development.
He noted that disaster risk management should be a key consideration in building of roads, houses or any type of infrastructural project.
Craig went on to call for more effective building codes in low-lying areas, as well as a greater implementation of those building codes. “If you do not take, for instance, litigation, which is a part of disaster risk reduction, you would not be able to reduce the risk of flooding. When we are building, we have to build a certain way.”
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had called some nights ago for the stringent enforcement of laws against citizens who impede the work of technical teams in desilting drains, since “it is affecting the whole city.”
Such impediments, according to Patterson, are linked to the inaccessibility of drains by technical crews, which continues to challenge the hopes of a faster and more effective relief of floodwaters. “We have persons encroaching on our canals [and] we have to find a solution to that because we can’t clear certain canals.”
“The medium-term solution [is that] we have to review our building regulations [and] our designs,” the Minister continued.
Guyana experienced a slight earth tremor on the day of the historic level of rainfall. Seismologists from the University of the West Indies have been able to pinpoint the focal point of the activity off the coast of Barbados.
“There can be linkages between these types of events (earthquakes and rainfall). Some of these events affect cloud formation,” acting Chief Hydromet Officer, Dr. Garvin Cummings confirmed on the NCN programme, although, he continued, no analysis has thus far been done to determine whether the quake was linked to the heavy downpour experienced in Guyana.
Dr Cummings went on to highlight the challenges faced by Guyana’s weather forecasting service. “As a country, we need to address the issues that the National Weather Watch Centre might have.” Cummings noted that a report was delivered to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, as well as the Public Infrastructure Minister on the state of the facility.
He pointed to the lack of human resources in the sector, since there is a small group of persons in the job market with comprehensive knowledge of meteorology.
He also highlighted the need for re-evaluating the school curriculum to focus on the sciences, with programmes crafted at the level of the University of Guyana for students looking to specialise in weather forecasting. Meanwhile, Guyana’s hydromet office is being run with four weather forecasters working around the clock, without a limatologist, whose task is to study weather patterns over long periods.
The CDC’s Major Craig interjected to call for a greater weather-watch system, where residents could prepare for the event of a flood or high-tide warning. This would allow ample time for residents to reduce damage to household items and even livestock in farming areas affected by excessive rainfalls and even droughts.
While water has receded along the country’s coastline, the Hydromet Office is predicting less than two inches of rainfall today. The CDC will continue to assist with supplies to bring communities back to a state of normalcy. Clothing, water, and food supplies are being distributed, and there are two shelters set up in the Albouystown community to house persons interested in seeking shelter during the flood.
Today, the officers and members of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), will convene at the CDC’s Thomas Lands headquarters for updates on more recent activities, which precedes a brief to the nation and members of Parliament.
Today’s weather forecast, according to Dr Cummings, indicates rainfall less than two inches, which should facilitate the further relief of floodwaters. These floodwaters will continue to be discharged through the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), commonly known as the Hope Canal, and the Land of Canaan sluices.