Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Hydromet Service celebrates 43 years in existence
– climate change takes centre stage
The Hydrometeorological Service in Guyana yesterday celebrated 43 years since its existence at the Botanical Gardens. In observance of the event, the Hydromet Department, which is attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, held an ‘Open Day’ and exhibition in the Gardens. The major issue of climate change was promoted as a means of creating awareness among the population.
During his feature address to the gathering, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said that the investments and the resources made in the department are now bearing fruit.
He revealed that Government is contemplating to make the department a semi-autonomous agency. However, Persaud said that an official decision has not as yet been made.
He explained that there are positive plans in store for the department, as initiatives are geared towards developing early warning capacity at the Hydromet Department, and to improve the services provided to the Guyanese people.
A demonstration on how to conserve energy during the exhibition.
In this respect, Minister Persaud appealed to students and other persons to join the service, as this is one area where the ministry is facing difficulty, since according to Persaud, getting the right type of persons with the requisite skills in Science and Mathematics poses a problem for the service.
Meanwhile, the issue of climate change took centre stage, as Minister Persaud said that much emphasis has to be placed on the topic and that Guyana needs to constantly be looking at what interventions have to be made in order to adopt and reduce the impact of climate change.
In this respect, he explained that agriculture is very vulnerable to climate change, given the fact that 97 percent of agricultural activities are talking place along the coast, which is below sea level.
“And we have to take that very seriously, because not only in terms of our economic fortunes, given the role of agriculture to our national economy, but also the survival and the existence of our people, too, must cause us to give this serious attention,” Persaud emphasised.
He added that even before climate change became a topical issue, Guyana recognized very early that it is something real and it can do terrible harm for the country in economical and sociological contexts.
This is why, he said, a number of arrangements and linkages were developed between Guyana and various regional and multilateral agencies.
Persaud noted that, due to the steps taken and certain interventions made by Guyana, the country is now in a position in which it can ably undertake major adaptation interventions in order to reduce some of the impact, once the resources are at the Government’s disposal.
Minister Persaud explained that Guyana is already a victim of climate change, as he noted that the sugar and rice sectors are severely threatened.
In the sugar sector, he said, an undeniable fact is that the weather has been a severe constraint for the industry, as, over the last three crops, close to 100,000 tonnes of sugar has been lost due to the changing weather patterns.
Instead of 125 opportunity days, the sugar industry has been able to acquire only 65 of those days.
As it relates to the rice sector, he explained that while some persons are planting, other are harvesting, as the whole cropping pattern has been totally dislodged, and it creates tremendous problems in terms of drainage and irrigation, because when some persons require irrigation, others want drainage.
“This means that it requires much more awareness; a lot more capacity, so that we can support the sector; and much more financial resources to undertake some of the interventions which are required,” Persaud said.
He added that in order to immediately solve two of the major problems being experienced in drainage and irrigation, a whopping US$100 million would be required.
However, according to Minister Persaud, Government cannot afford this.
“The point I want to make is that we are confronted with climate dangers… it can threaten our existence, but also it can do severe harm. In our context we have to be better aware and better prepared,” Persaud stated.
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