Regional officials charged to improve flood response, reporting

Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall on Friday urged authorities within the various local organs to be zealous in their flood response, as the country continues to experience inundation.
During his address to regional authorities at a virtual Regional Disaster Risk Management Systems Flood Response Meeting organised by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), he said daily status reports on the impact of flooding in the respective regions should be released.

The Minister said that while some regions have been reporting to the CDC, many have been recalcitrant, pointing out that such information is critical as it relates to planning support for households and farming communities affected by the floods.
Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig emphasised that effective reporting will allow the CDC to better plan to meet the needs of the affected. Preparedness and Response Manager, Major Salim October also stressed the need for better coordination at the level of the RDC to ensure that hampers dispatched by the CDC reach those residents who are severely impacted.
Specialist Meteorologist at the National Weather Watch Centre, Komalchand indicated that the forecast predicts above normal rainfall for June to July with August likely to experience wetter than usual transition into dry conditions.
Among the questions asked by regional authorities were whether farmers should commence replanting of crops during this unpredictable weather condition given the financial cost and whether satellite images of flooded areas can be provided. Officers from the Hydromet Department have agreed to work with the respective regions through their extension officers to give further guidance on the weather.
Following weeks of heavy rainfall throughout Guyana, some 29,300 households have been inundated with more than 200 persons having to be relocated into Government-established shelters after their homes had been affected by the floods. This was revealed by Prime Minister, Ret’d Brigadier Mark Phillips on Thursday as he updated the National Assembly on the ongoing flood situation across the country.
Currently, all 10 administrative regions in Guyana are experiencing varied levels of floods. The rainfall experienced in May alone was recorded as the second-highest level of rainfall across the country in the last 40 years. He noted that these torrential rains have impacted not just thousands of households but also large swaths of farmlands as well as livestock.
Shelters have also been established in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Only Wednesday, President Ali announced that the CDC has advised that the flood situation in Guyana has reached a Level 2 Disaster. According to CDEMA’s Regional Response Mechanism, a Level 2 Event is one in which the national capacity to respond is not overwhelmed, but some external assistance is required.