Japan’s support for water management in Guyana lauded

The Guyana Government is working assiduously to develop and implement systems that would ensure all citizens have access to clean potable water, and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal has recently lauded the Japanese Government for its support to Guyana in this respect.
As he delivered remarks at “the Japan-Caricom Friendship Year 2024” event, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal told the gathering that the friendship between Guyana and Japan goes all the way back to the late 1960s, during which time Japan has been a key player in several local sectors, such as water and energy.
“Guyana’s friendship with Japan spans more than 50 years since we’ve established diplomatic relations in 1967. Our economic cooperation is strong, and we have built relations through grant aid and training programmes among (other areas). In fact, since 1989, the Government of Guyana has been benefitting from grant and non-project grant assistance from the Government of Japan, primarily aimed at improving the health, water, and energy sectors,” Croal disclosed.
He also highlighted that Guyana and Japan have partnered, over the years, on several collaborative water projects that have since transformed Guyana’s water sector.
“The completion of the Japanese-funded water treatment plant in Queenstown, Corriverton — that has provided more than 15,000 persons with access to safe water through the rehabilitation of existing wells, the construction of new treatment plants, the installation of distribution mainlines, and the procurement of water meters — this project followed the completion of the first phase, which involved the construction of a treatment plant at #56 Village on the Corentyne. While Guyana has never been a recipient of a Japanese loan in recent years, having been characterized as an upper-middle-income country, we were however offered concessional loans to assist in the refurbishing (of) the Guyana Water Inc.,” Croal disclosed.
The Housing and Water Minister also revealed that the governments of Guyana and Japan, together with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), are collaborating on a project that would see the construction of a water treatment plant at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.
“Presently, the Government of Guyana, the IDB, and Japan are collaborating on a project for the construction of a water treatment plant at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. Once implemented, this project will reduce our dependency on some of our water sources, while providing a more reliable supply of water to residents on the East Bank of Demerara,” Croal explained.
Considering the importance of water security, Minister Croal took this opportunity to thank the Government of Japan for support rendered to Guyana over the years, and noted that Japan’s investments and expertise have contributed significantly to Guyana achieving several sustainable water management goals.
“Your support has helped us to meet our water targets that we have set for our country through the years, and we are grateful. Access to clean, safe, and reliable water means greater opportunities, improved health, and the resilience needed to strive in an uncertain future. And we are honoured to have Japan share this journey with us. Let us all therefore reaffirm our shared commitment to building a future where every community, regardless of size or circumstance, has access to the water resources essential to life and prosperity,” Croal declared.
Commemoration of this anniversary of the Caricom-Japan friendship was held as a high-level engagement at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, and officials from Caricom, the Inter-American Development Bank, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), among other agencies, engaged in crucial discussions on sustainable water management.
The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the Japan-Caricom Consultations, and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Jamaica, and Japan and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. To commemorate these events, the year 2024 has been designated as the “Japan-Caricom Friendship Year 2024”, and commemorative projects will be implemented in Japan and Caricom countries with the aim of deepening exchanges between Japan and Caricom countries.