AS Guyana experiences countrywide flooding as a result of heavy rainfall, a National Flood Forecasting System (NFFS) was developed and is currently being operationally tested by the Guyana Hydrometeorological (Hydromet) Service. During a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, whose ministry has oversight for the service, noted that the current flooding has highlighted the importance and relevance of developing a forecasting system to predict such extreme conditions.
“The current floods have devastated significant portions of farmlands, killed livestock, damaged private and public infrastructure, and is likely to have severe social and public health impacts that are still to be fully assessed,” he said. The project, which is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and funded by the Japanese Government, is designed and calibrated for the prediction of extreme flood events that are caused by the overflow of rivers, using meteorological and a nationwide hydrological model. Flooding caused by overtopping of man-made drainage canals along the coast of Guyana is, however, not captured under this system. Minister Mustapha reiterated that the NFFS will assist in managing disasters before extensive damage can take place. “Recovering from this event will no doubt require government and the Ministry of Agriculture to redirect resources to address the challenges posed by the current situation affecting planned interventions. It is in this context that the development of a National Flood Early Warning System becomes extremely relevant to the development of Guyana,” he said. Meanwhile, UNDP’s Resident Representative, Jairo Valverde, during brief remarks, expressed his pleasure with the completion of the project and is eagerly looking forward to its trial phase, shortly.

“I am pleased to announce the completion of a National Flood Forecasting System which is an important element of a national flood early warning system for Guyana. This flood forecasting system developed by UNOSAT, in collaboration with CIMA Research Foundation, is currently being operationally tested by the MoA, Hydrometeorological Service over the period of this current rainy season, all towards enhancing the capacity of the MoA Hydrometeorological Service to forecast extreme flood events on a national scale,” he said.
The NFFS will see a two-dimensional hydraulic model piloted in four vulnerable flood-prone communities: Paruima in Region Seven, Chenapau in Region Eight, Lethem in Region Nine and Kwakwani in Region Ten. Through this project, the development of flood maps for these communities will be possible for extreme flood events only. However, the NFFS is designed to allow for further development to capture areas that are not included under the current project. Additionally, along with the technical set up of the flood forecasting platform, capacity development activities were also implemented to ensure the sustainability of the NFFS, as well as to enhance the technical skills and knowledge of key national stakeholders in the use of Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) for Flood Risk Management (FRM). After the testing period, the NFFS will be fully operational and will provide support for timely warnings for extreme flooding events. This would be beneficial to vulnerable communities, especially those currently experiencing severe flooding. In closing, Chief Hydrometeorological Officer, Dr Garvin Cummings, thanked the UNDP, UNOSAT and the Government of Japan for their continued support to the Hydrometeorological Service and reiterated the Government of Guyana’s commitment to the sustainability and continued advancement of the NFFS.