The Baracara falls is a small waterfall near the Mazaruni and Essequibo rivers, perfect for lounging around the rocks while the water cascades on you. In 2016, when I first visited the falls, I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem that was so easily accessible. But, when I returned last week, I was taken aback by the garbage that surrounded the area.

There were beer bottles, snack wrappers, and food boxes at the side of the waterfalls and higher up, near the landing. The few bins there were overrun, and it appeared as though people decided to create their own garbage heaps- except that those heaps were all over and a terrible eyesore (not to mention quite unsanitary).

This particular waterfall is located just across from the Aruwai H2O resort, which is a beautiful resort that occupies one of the islands on the Essequibo River. And when I think about our local tourism, Aruwai and these falls- which go hand in hand- are one of the spots I think about.

But, when I was confronted by the garbage situation, I could not imagine this anymore. The stark contrast between a beautiful waterfall and the ugly garbage was enough to make me abstain from that location until I am guaranteed that the situation no longer exists.

The tour guide who accompanied my group and I explained that the resort managers would often try to clear out the garbage to keep the environment attractive, but there is a challenge with visitors who come on their own. According to him, there is little else that can be done.

Granted, there were garbage bins at the site, but those were filled, signalling that there was either a need for more bins or more frequent emptying of these bins.

Even so, however, how can we simply toss our garbage on the ground? Do we have such little regard for our environment, or at least, this beautiful tourism site? The responsibility should not only fall on the hands of the resort managers and the tour operators but also on each of us, individually.

It’s really just the decent, clean thing to do.

I also believe that our improper garbage disposal habits are not confined to the ugly, nasty site near the falls. I also see it in our capital city, Georgetown- which, many years ago, was dubbed the Garden City.

If I was a betting person, I would bet my last dollar that there would be piles of garbage near our markets and in many of the drains around the city. This is not to say that there is not an ugly garbage situation in other parts of Guyana, but it is very prominent in the city.

And, while I do believe that the local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that the avenues for proper disposal are well-maintained (providing adequate bins and collecting these on time), I do not believe that this absolves any of us from the responsibility of disposing of our garbage better.

Just for a bit of context, a 2019 study on improper garbage disposal was conducted in Nepal, by Rajesh Kumar Rai, Mani Nepal, Madan Singh Khadayat, and Bishal Bhardwaj.

According to their research, municipal solid waste is a critical environmental issue in urban areas, that is, in the more infrastructurally developed cities and towns.

While the issue of proper garbage disposal, or the lack thereof, is an eyesore, these researchers argued that the waste leads to pollution of the environment, resulting in public health effects. The unsanitary conditions may attract disease-spreading rodents (such as rats) and could also lead to the development of skin and breathing issues.

Additionally, the researchers found that unmanaged waste could clog the drainage systems, which could contribute to flooding and waterlogging in urban areas during the rainy season. The contribution of this improper disposal of garbage to flooding is evident in Georgetown.

This research did not focus on the impact of improper waste management in more rural communities or in less developed spaces. As such, it would be difficult to extrapolate any considerations on the harm the garbage disposal could cause to our burgeoning eco-tourism sector.

Despite this, however, it can be argued that the improper disposal of garbage anywhere is not merely an eyesore and a turn-off, but it is also potentially an unsanitary breathing ground for health problems. As such, we have to be bothered by the garbage situation and we have to want to practise better habits.