PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, met with a delegation of representatives from leading international universities, on Tuesday, to discuss a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing flood resilience in Guyana and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations.
The delegation included representatives from McGill University (Canada), the University of Louisiana (United States), the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (United Kingdom), and Imperial College London (United Kingdom). They briefed the Prime Minister at his office on the collaborative project, titled “A Collaboratively Designed and Managed Flood Resilience Framework for Affected Communities in Guyana and the Caribbean.”

This four-year initiative is funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) of Canada, the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The primary goal is to mitigate the impacts of flooding on vulnerable coastal and riverine communities throughout the region.

Prime Minister Phillips, who also holds ministerial responsibility for Civil Defence, engaged with the delegation on the key components of the project. These include the development of a CARICOM-wide flood resilience framework, the implementation of a risk hazard prediction and response model, capacity-building for local communities and institutions, and the establishment of new, inclusive flood control systems.

“The importance of this project cannot be overstated,” Prime Minister Phillips remarked. “It aligns perfectly with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 and supports our broader goals of sustainable development and resilience building.”
The delegation expressed confidence that the initiative would significantly enhance the region’s flood risk management capabilities, ultimately reducing the vulnerability of communities across CARICOM.
The meeting was also attended by Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, Colonel (Ret’d) Nazrul Hussain, along with a team from the Commission. Their involvement highlights the national commitment to the success of this initiative, which is expected to have far-reaching impacts on flood resilience in the region.