$8.2B earmarked to strengthen Guyana’s coastal defence

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh speaking during a live broadcast

The government has allocated $8.2 billion in its 2025 budget to fortify and preserve the nation’s sea and river defences.

This funding is crucial to protecting riverine communities and agricultural lands, ensuring food security and safeguarding the country from the impacts of climate change.

The Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh announced this during his budget 2025 presentation in the National Assembly Friday last.

The minister explained that shortly after returning to office in 2020, the government was confronted with the daunting task of addressing the devastation caused by a breach in the Mahaicony sea defence.

This calamity led to the flooding of vast farmland and residential zones.

The senior minister attributed the breach to the previous administration’s neglect of essential infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for action to protect the country’s vulnerable coastal regions.

Since then, significant strides have been made under the Ministry of Public Works in improving the country’s coastal resilience.

“Over the last four years, we facilitated several initiatives including the construction of over 23,900 metres of new sea defence structures along Guyana’s coastline,” Dr Singh detailed.

In addition, over 1,200 hectares of mangrove forests have been restored, combining ecological preservation with engineering solutions to create sustainable protection against rising sea levels.

The monies allocated in budget 2025 will fund further coastal defence projects in key areas, including Belladrum, Bengal, Den Amstel, Onderneeming, and Zeelandia.

This follows a similar allocation in 2024, which saw the expenditure of another $8.2 billion to enhance the country’s coastal infrastructure.

Last year’s funding supported the completion of sea defence works in several critical locations, including Bygeval, Cane Garden, Fairfield, Grove, La Resource, Springlands, Uitvlugt, and the Leguan and Wakenaam Islands.