THE Detailed Damage Sector Assessment (DDSA) which will thoroughly assess the impact of the recent flooding on various sectors, commenced on schedule on Wednesday, with teams from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) travelling to the regions being evaluated.

The teams met with the officials from the respective Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), and other stakeholders as part of their data gathering process. The assessment is expected to last at least five days in each region, following which the data gathered will be analysed and a report prepared.

CDEMA will be focusing on the assessment and analysis of the health, water and sanitation, infrastructure and housing, agriculture, social, shelter and mining sectors, in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Each respective team will include specialists for each of the sectors identified.

The teams include representatives from a number of United Nations (UN) agencies.

The CDEMA will be coordinating with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in the execution of the assessment, which is estimated to be completed in approximately one month.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, on Wednesday, CDC Director-General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, noted that notwithstanding challenges that the teams may face due to the terrain and geographical constraints, he was confident that there will be a successful completion of the assessment.

“This mission is complex in two ways, in that one it’s a flood response [and] secondly we are operating in a COVID-19 environment. The mission is also complex because of the geography of the regions and the different government structures within the different regions identified,” Craig explained.

Further, he noted that “It’s important for the teams to understand the local context of each region, the different mechanism systems, government structures, and the stakeholders that operate in the different regions for this mission to be successful.”

Craig noted his confidence in the CDEMA team, and lauded the work that the CDC staff have been doing to ensure the team’s mission is well coordinated.

“We have been working tirelessly to ensure all of the necessary logistics are put in place, and we are now focused on the mission and getting all the necessary data to ensure that the report is completed on time,” Craig said.

The assessment will include analysis of the sectors to determine the extent of the damage that has occurred, an analysis of the estimated cost to recover, and a look at how the recovery estimate can lead to additional support for Guyana in rebuilding and long-term recovery.

The report will be used to guide intervention measures in the short, medium and long-term.

The assessment will involve a total of five teams covering the various regions. On Wednesday, teams were deployed to Regions Two, Five, Seven and Ten.

Two teams are covering Region Seven, with one team conducting assessments in the Lower and Middle Cuyuni-Mazaruni and the other team covering the Upper Cuyuni-Mazaruni. The team in Region Five will also be conducting the assessment for Region Six.

In Region Two, that team was scheduled to visit the communities of Anna Regina, Devonshire, Castle, Bounty Hall, Queenstown, Perseverance, Suddie, and David James Scheme. The Region Five team was scheduled to cover Fort Wellington, Woodley Park, Bath, Rosignol, Ithaca, and Blairmont on the first day.

In Region Seven the Upper Cuyuni-Mazaruni team was scheduled to visit Imbamadai/Omenike and Kambaru, while the Lower Cuyuni-Mazaruni team was expected to visit Bartica, Agatash, and Dagg Point.

In Region 10, that team was scheduled to begin its assessment with visits to Block 42, Amelia’s Ward, Rainbow City, Silvertown, and Lower Kara Kara.