Assessing the agriculture policies in Guyana for the integration/mainstreaming of climate change planning

The impacts of climate change have had adverse effects on Guyana for several years and are expected to get worse with time. Guyana’s current Agriculture sector has more frequent impacts of climate change and variability. Climate change information and adaptation methods are necessary for building or improving agricultural practices and day-to-day planning. The information gathered from climatic data also influences living organisms and their role in the Agriculture industry and highlights the importance of the need for mitigation procedures.

The government of Guyana and other planning institutions have recognized that there is a great need to strengthen their capacity and methodologies that will support climate change planning and mitigation processes. There has been a constant struggle to develop exact terms of planning and policy design in the agriculture sector. Issues such as food security, crops, and population stability are threatened if specific detailed policies and investment allocation are not quickly implemented. 

At the national level, the government has introduced sectoral policies such as Agriculture Disaster Risk Management. Strides have been made to implement adaptation, and resilience-building actions that focus mainly on sustainable livelihoods in the agriculture sector and how prepared the nation is to deal with it and respond. There is still additional work to be done to build a comprehensive framework that will enhance climate resilience goals.

 

CLIMATE RISK – AGRICULTURE

The low coastal plain of Guyana is the area in which the majority of agricultural activities are encompassed. The amount of land placed into production for the agriculture sector for the year 2007 was approximately 1.74 million hectares (The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2007). Rice and sugar crops account for the majority of these lands within five regions on the coastal plain from Region two to Region six, respectively. The elevated concentration of precipitation within the two rainy seasons; the rising sea level that causes spillover and violation of our sea defense; the overflow of barriers for rivers and dams; lack of proper solid waste management within these areas and the minimal public awareness with regards to sea defenses are some of the critical components of diminished defensive measures (Inter-American Development Bank, 2012). Guyana is also vulnerable to drought, given that it also has two dry seasons. Areas that are heavily prone to dryness are somewhat still unknown since work has not been done to correctly identify these areas (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013a). During these dry seasons, forest fires also occur mainly in the coastal and savannah areas with principally white sandy soils. It is not generally a significant problem, although it is one of the foremost factors of deforestation (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013a). Pests and diseases are some of the main contributors to the vulnerability of the sector concerning climate change. Outbreaks of this kind can majorly impact the livelihoods of individuals and also the food security of the nation. Pink mealybug and the carambola fruit fly are just some of the pests that have affected the country tremendously in the past. These vulnerabilities can have serious and costly implications to the Agriculture sector of Guyana since it contributes approximately 18% of GDP (Bank of Guyana, 2016).

 

ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENCE – AGRICULTURE

To combat these negative impacts of climate change, the Government of Guyana has commenced the framework to assess the vulnerability, capacity, and risk of climate change to implement measures for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Some of the significant interventions were initiated with the preservation of coastal sea defenses and augmentation through the Mangrove Restoration Project (Ministry of the Presidency, 2015). This project also focused on public awareness due to the destruction of mangroves by the population for lack of common knowledge. The optimization and advancement of drainage and irrigation structures, as stated in the 2020 Strategy is currently being executed (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013b). The Hope Canal and other significant areas have been rehabilitated to increase their capacity in case of emergency. Farmers are being trained, and public awareness on climate-smart agriculture is enhanced across the country to develop water management skills to reduce wastage and exposure to catastrophic implications. These farmers are also being trained in climate-smart technologies such as drip irrigation, protected agriculture, and also utilizing suitable varieties for increased production (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013a).  Weather patterns and models are easily accessible to persons, and the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing improved storage of data for active public awareness on climate variability.

INTEGRATION OF AGRICULTURE DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Agriculture Disaster Risk Management Plan was introduced in 2012 and completed in 2013 with a five (5) year projection plan to 2018.  The main objectives of the ARDM Plan were to develop a strategy that the Agriculture sector could integrate into its day-to-day routines to combat and mitigate the impacts of disasters while simultaneously ensuring financial resources are continuously mobilized, and the burden is not left on the Government of Guyana.

In 2016, the Government of Japan pledged to support the ADRM with US$300,000. As an upgrade to the Agriculture Risk Reduction and Disaster Management policies, which focuses on “initiatives to prevent and manage floods and droughts” (Ministry of Agriculture, 2016), the ADRM provides enhanced tools or methodologies to effectively deal with the climate change impact on the agriculture production in Guyana.  

It is important to note that policies approved for agriculture disaster risk management have been adopted and approved “at the national level through the Office of the President and supported by Cabinet and the National Disaster Coordinator” (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013). The Ministry of Agriculture is represented and supported by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Hydrometeorology Department. The ARDM functions are usually executed by sub-committees that function both at the local (the Regional Democratic Councils) and national levels.

The integration of the ADRM has proven to be practical and functional. It should be emphasized that in a predominantly agriculture-based economy, the agriculture sector plays a vital role in socio-economic growth. The Ministry of Agriculture recognized the relevance and consequence of implementing a plan that institutionalizes risk reduction and effective disaster response within a framework that can guarantee long-term benefits and prosperity for the country. “The ADRM Plan is an excellent first step in mainstreaming DRR in the agriculture sector and augmenting existing mechanisms for effective pursuance of the national development agenda and the Millennium Development Goals” (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013). The ARDM addresses all the five sectors in the field, and it underlines that interventions be directed towards biological, hydrometeorological, and technical hazards.

 

In conclusion, prevention and mitigation are often the main strategies used by governments to implement and minimize the impact of disasters. The Ministry of Agriculture recognizes that priority is given to the immediate implementation of the ARDM. Climate change has impacted Guyana in many negative ways, and to combat its impacts, measures need to be put in place to ensure that the expected outcomes are seen. The Ministry of Agriculture has also recognized that for mitigation processes to continue, its urgent action has to be taken to secure a sustainable source of funding. The contribution of small-scale farmers and fisher-people is highly valued and builds the agriculture sector of Guyana.

 

REFERENCES

Bank of Guyana. (2016). Annual Report 2016 [Electronic copy]. Retrieved from https://www.bankofguyana.org.gy/bog/images/research/Reports/ANNREP2016.pdf

 

Ministry of Agriculture. (April 2013). Disaster risk management plan for the agriculture sector 2013–2018. Retrieved from http://www.un.org.gy/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=144:disaster-risk-management-plan-for-the-agriculture-sector-2013-2018&Itemid=740

 

Ministry of Agriculture. (6 July 2016). Impact of climate change on agricultural production

highlighted -US$300,000 Japanese grant received. Retrieved from http://agriculture.gov.gy/2016/07/06/impact-of-climate-change-on-agricultural-production-highlighted-us300000-japanese-grant-received/

 

Ministry of the Presidency. (2015). Climate resilience strategy and action plan for Guyana (Report). Georgetown, Guyana: Ministry of the Presidency. 

 

Ministry of Agriculture. (2013b). A national strategy for agriculture in Guyana 2013-2020 [Electronic Copy]. Retrieved from http://www.ptccb.org.gy/documents/MoA%20Agriculture%20Strategy%202013-2020%20.pdf