US$1M received from Japan to boost Early Flood Warning System

…USAID injects US$30,000 into Guyana’s flood relief efforts

As Guyana continues to grapple with an unprecedented flood crisis, the country has received separate financial support from United States and Japan to go towards flood relief and prevention efforts nationwide.
During a press conference on Wednesday, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Representative for the Caribbean region, Clinton White, disclosed that the agency is injecting in excess of $6.2 million to support the ongoing flood relief efforts across Guyana.
“In response to the flooding, the United States Government, through the USAID, is providing an immediate US$30,000 in humanitarian assistance – US$15,000 is going to the Guyana Red Cross for the local purchase and transportation of relief hampers, including cleaning and personal hygiene kits. An additional US$15,000 is going to the CDC (Civil Defence Commission in Guyana) in the transportation of relief items to priority regions,”
Added to this, the USAID Representative noted that the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance would continue to engage and monitor the flood situation with the CDC and other key stakeholders.
White noted that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s recent declaration of the floods as a national disaster underscores the importance of a concerted effort to tackle climate change immediately.
The USAID Regional Head is currently in Guyana to advance the U.S. Government’s collaboration with Caribbean states on a variety of topics, including climate change. Currently, the USAID, in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (Caricom), is conducting a 3-week climate change symposium in Guyana.
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, said during Wednesday’s press conference that this visit by the USAID Representative comes on the heels of the agency celebrating 60 years of partnership with Guyana to build capacity both at the governmental and civil society levels.
“In my time here, I have seen the profound impact (of) the US-Guyana partnership in areas as diverse as health, governance, environment, and economic growth as making a sustainable difference in Guyana’s development. And with all that is ahead for Guyana’s bright future, a focus on private sector-led growth is something I know will make an even bigger impact in the coming months and the coming years,” Ambassador Lynch posited.
Further, she lauded the CDC and other Government agencies for their response to the flooding, as well as the Private Sector for organising relief hampers and other materials to mitigate the effects of the current crisis.
“I, like many of you, look forward to the consistent and professional updates from Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig and his team at the CDC. Providing this kind of data and staying in constant communication with stakeholders are truly best practices when it comes to disaster management,” she asserted.
This response from the U.S. comes on the heels of Guyana last week declaring this current unprecedent flood situation as a Level Two disaster; that is, the national capacity to respond is not overwhelmed, but some external assistance is required.
Since then, assistance has been received from Guyana’s partners in the region and around the world. In fact, on Tuesday the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown donated flood relief items to the CDC.
Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Chen Xilai, handed over a batch of flood relief items to Deputy CDC Director Major Benons.
However, even as the country continues to tackle flooding in all 10 Administrative Regions, assistance has also been pouring in to put various systems in place to prevent such severe flooding from recurring in the future.
The Guyana Government on Wednesday received almost US$1 million to boost the National Flood Early Warning System.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, during the virtual handing over ceremony, said the current flooding in the country has highlighted the need for a well-developed and effective National Flood Early Warning System.
“The handing over of this National Flood Early Warning System comes as a critical point for Guyana… Such a System would provide opportunities for climate change adaptation and resilience benefits, while at the same time improving disaster preparedness and reducing the costs associated with response/relief and reconstruction,” the Minister noted in a DPI article.
Mustapha pointed out that recovering from this flood crisis would require the Agriculture Ministry, and by extension the Government, to redirect resources to address the challenges, which would also affect planned interventions.
“Early Warning Systems are an important component of a country’s disaster risk management strategy. Going beyond flood forecasting, which assesses flood risks, Flood Early Warning Systems allow authorities (in this case the Hydromet Service) to issue warnings when a flood is imminent or already occurring,” Minister Mustapha said.
Furthermore, Minister Mustapha emphasised that in order to develop a full-fledged Flood Early Warning System, significant human, technical and capital investments are required.
“The Government of Guyana recognises that today’s handing over does not represent the development and launch of a full-fledged Flood Early Warning System for every corner of Guyana. There is still a long road ahead that would require significant human, technical and capital investments to ensure that we have a truly comprehensive system in place…[but] We believe that it sets a strong foundation upon which a comprehensive system can be built,” the Agriculture Ministry noted.
Already, the Guyana Government has secured the approval of the National Assembly for $10 billion emergency funding for flood relief interventions, including repairs to infrastructure and supporting recovery in the productive and household sectors.