THE Government of Guyana remains committed to the development of river fronts in the various administrative regions as it forms part of plans to transform the country into a ‘green state’ within 30 years.

This was the message brought to the people of Linden, at the official opening of the 2019 River Front Festival, by Director General within the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon.

For this to see fruition; however, the entire culture and mentality of all Guyanese have to change and reflect that of a people who respect, honour and embrace the beauty and cleanliness of the environment, Harmon said.

“We are going to be transformed into a ‘green state’ and a ‘green economy’. What that means is that our behaviour and our attitude towards our environment have to change in keeping with that strategy; and so our attitude to rivers, our attitude to creeks, our attitude to the trees, our attitude to our environment, the air we breathe, has to undergo significant changes,” he said.

In this regard, Harmon commended the initiative of the river front festival, which serves to celebrate and raise awareness on the importance of the waterfront to the lives of every Lindener. One significant issue now affecting the river is pollution by a host of items, including plastic. To curb this challenge, Harmon said the government is mulling the ban on single-use plastics by 2021.

“That is something we are embracing and that by 2021, we are going to ban single-use plastics in Guyana and this of course will benefit tremendously, our rivers and waterways,” he revealed.

Interventions as these, he said, require a series of legislative interventions and more importantly, enforcement of those legislations. Government has made some strides with regard to the environmental protection act and will continue to push for a clean, ‘green’ Guyana.

SUPPORT
The government, he said, will continue to support river front development and festivals or any activity that serve to campaign for the preservation of Guyana’s rivers. Since 2015, there has been massive transformation of river fronts, notably in Bartica, Supernaam and New Amsterdam.

While the government will play its role, Guyanese have to meet them half way and change their mentality on how they view the river and waterways. They are not just means of transportation but are an important feature in the beauty and aesthetics of the environment. This, the director general said, must not be taken for granted.

Samuel Wright, the brainchild behind the Linden River Front Festival, spoke extensively on the preservation of the Demerara River which divides Linden in two, by not only focusing on the river itself, but on every single water body such as valleys, springs and creeks that drain into the river.

Indiscriminate activities that take place in these various water bodies will no doubt, affect the river, he said.

“In order for us to protect the river, we have to understand it and something we have been doing is destroying the swamps,” he explained, adding: “The river front is the cradle of Linden… we must stop blocking that passage.”

Wright explained that the festival is to bring people together to the river in a conscious way by allowing them to do what they do in and around the river, but with more excitement and vibes such as fishing, swimming and water sports.
Also advocating for the river front to be developed and embraced were mayors of Linden, Waneka Arrindell; Bartica, Gifford Marshall, and Deputy Mayor of New Amsterdam, Wainwright McIntosh.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Marshall posited that there is development in this regard not only on the coast but in the hinterland region and while Bartica benefitted from this tremendously, he is willing to share best practises to ensure that every town is transformed as Bartica’s waterfront was.
“We all have a responsibility to transfer this town of yours; we ought to do what it takes to preserve this beauty,” he said. Mayor Arrindell spoke on the importance of the river and its rich heritage and urged Lindeners to embrace it.

McIntosh said that New Amsterdam will emulate the initiative of a river front festival and the call to preserve and develop the river.

In addition to these positive messages and encouragements, the opening ceremony also included cultural performances. It was followed by a boxing competition and a live band. On Saturday, the Linden River Front Festival continued with a market day, fishing competition, cycle parade, kids festival, street football and club night and bar hopping. The event will culminate on Monday with a grand regatta. This is the fifth edition of the Linden River Front Festival.