World Bank Approves Project to Enhance Climate Resilience and Reduce Flood Risk in Guyana

Diletta Doretti, the World Bank Group Resident Representative for Guyana and Suriname, highlighted the project's significance in reinforcing Guyana's resilience to flooding and natural disasters.

The World Bank has greenlit a project aimed at helping Guyana adapt to climate change and mitigate flood risks in its coastal regions, benefiting approximately 320,000 people, or roughly 40 percent of the country's population, with a focus on the most vulnerable communities.

Guyana ranks among the nations most susceptible to the impacts of climate change, with studies indicating that its coastal areas face significant threats from rising sea levels, exposing coastal agriculture and urban areas to flooding and erosion. The potential economic losses from these risks could surpass 46.4 percent of the country's GDP.

The Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Project will leverage existing efforts to bolster flood risk management in Guyana, concentrating on repairing or replacing more than 45 drainage infrastructure assets, with a particular emphasis on sluices. Investments will consider future land use, population growth, urbanization, and climate change effects to enhance drainage functionality, improve flood protection, and fortify irrigation services.

Diletta Doretti, the World Bank Group Resident Representative for Guyana and Suriname, highlighted the project's significance in reinforcing Guyana's resilience to flooding and natural disasters. She emphasized its alignment with Guyana's broader climate-resilient growth vision and its contribution to the country's Low-Carbon Development Strategy.

The project will collaborate closely with Guyana's Ministry of Agriculture to enhance the management and operation of the drainage system. It will also enhance the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority's asset management system, establish technical standards for urban flood risk management, and provide training to boost personnel capacity for system operation and maintenance.

Financed by a US$45 million grant from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund, supported by Norway, the project forms part of Guyana's efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by curbing deforestation and forest degradation. Norway compensates Guyana for these efforts, channeling payments into implementing the country's low-carbon development strategy, with the Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Project serving as a vital component.