The Works Services Group (WSG) within the Public Works Ministry was, on Friday, January 21st, the recipient of Gy$4.8 billion worth of river and sea defence equipment to enhance its reconstruction, maintenance and strengthening programme.
EU Ambassador to Guyana, Geert Heikens, presented the equipment to Transport and Hydraulics Ministry Robeson Benn in the ministry’s compound.
Among the donated items were scientific calculators, GPS systems, motorcycles, tractor/trailers, geo-tubes, survey level computer systems, tidal gauges, wave and current meters, steel sheet piles, gabion baskets, Reno mattress and GIS software.
“This is so useful because we are always talking about sea defence work. We see all the big stones on the walls because there is a tremendous struggle for countries like Guyana against the sea … and it’s not only about building sea defences, but also about maintaining those structures,” Ambassador Heikens said.
He remarked that, through the new European Development Fund (EDF) programme, the European Union would be emphasizing the maintenance aspect of their support.
Ambassador Heikens added that the tractor, trailer and bikes are largely to assist the maintenance component as it relates to increased flexibility of rangers, which Guyana is trying to establish.
Head of the Sea and River Defence Division of the Works Ministry, Geoffrey Vaughn, disclosed that some of the technology donated will aid in the implementation of novel methods of sea defence.
“We will be able now to do things using the technology that is available, which will enable us to do things at a faster pace and not having to wait, especially when it comes to communication,” Vaughn noted.
He stated that the communication system will be set up to interlink rangers and other district engineers within the regions, to achieve faster transmission of information to the head office.
Vaughn added that, with sea level rise and climate change, the tidal gauges, which are used to determine wave height, will also assist in moving the division into the 21st century.
Technology such as the geo-tube, which is an apparatus that can reduce the levels of overtopping and eventually flooding, has never been used in Guyana.
He pointed out that the donated equipment will not be used only on the coastline, but also in the riverine areas.
Under the financing agreement of the Ninth EDF, a total of 17.1 million euros (Gy$4.8B) has been made available for projects within the sea defence sector. Currently, an extensive sea defence reconstruction, maintenance and institutional strengthening programme is underway.
Additionally, a total of six supply contracts, amounting to a combined value of Gy$157 million, has been issued. These contracts focus on procuring equipment and supplies for the execution of coastal zone monitoring and emergency sea defence works.
According to the EU, the monitoring equipment will be used to expand the data collection programme which forms part of the Shore Zone Management System (SZMS) of the Sea and River Defence Department.
A key element of this SZMS is the recently implemented WSG Geographic Information System, which will be used as an infrastructural planning and management tool.
Among the variables monitored by the WSG are water levels, wave heights, sea defence conditions, foreshore conditions and mud bank migrations along the coastline.
