KINGSTON - The European Union (EU), which has been of major support to Guyana, via funding a number of development related projects, came in for high praise for particular efforts to improve sea and river defence structures countrywide.
Geoffrey Vaughn, Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Works Services Group, stated that the EU has been funding and assisting the people of Guyana, in terms of sea and river defence works throughout the country.
“Since the 7th European Development Fund (EDF), there are now quite a number of structures that have been completed throughout those periods that have really assisted …you have seen the rip - rap structure being one of the main types of structures being used for construction,” Vaughn explained.
He added that whilst most of the country’s sea and river defence structures were constructed years ago, continuous assessment is done to determine where emphasis should next be placed for rehabilitative or re-construction works to be executed.
“Works are ongoing throughout … if you look on the East Bank Demerara (EBD), the guys constructed rip - rap in the Hope area, vertical sheets and sheet walls were constructed on the EBD… also we are working and we will continue to work to ensure that the line is there,” Vaughn explained.
Whilst ensuring the country’s sea and river defence structures receive ample attention, to truly serve the purpose they were constructed for many years ago, is by no means an easy task; however, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will continue to keep them functionally operational, Vaughn said. Towards this end, Vaughn added that the Works Services Group will continue to forge ahead with its engineering personnel, to ensure fresh ideas are forthcoming and the development of these structures are continued.
“…we will look towards new innovation wherever possible and innovations that can be used to alleviate some of the problems we’ve been having with our sea and river defences,” Vaughn said.
Guyana has been the beneficiary of successive EDFs, embracing a number of key projects in areas essential to the country’s human and economic development. Total financial assistance to Guyana from the EU, since the beginning of the Lomé Convention in 1975, is estimated in excess of 300 million Euros. This amount does not include bilateral cooperation by EU Member States, support under the regional programme, or the trade preferences and protocols.
The 10th EDF framework focused on sea defences, power and water, good governance and the development of a land use plan. The strategic and programming framework for the 11th EDF, which will last from 2014 to 2020, has identified climate change adaptation and risk reduction as priority areas, utilising a sum of 34 million Euros.
