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IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON GUYANA

Dec 08, 2015 Editorial, Features / Columnists

In Paris, more than 150 world leaders have participated in the Climate Change Conference which is a clear indication of the tremendous importance of the event. It was a very important conference for President David Granger to attend, but sending the Minister of State for Natural resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman, to represent Guyana was an excellent choice.
President Granger who attended the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference in Malta, claimed that he had some pressing matters to discuss with other Heads of State at the Conference, presumably among them, was the country’s border dispute with Venezuela.
Of late, climate change has had a direct bearing on Guyana because of its coastal region which is inhabited by almost 80 percent of the population and is below sea level. Its impact on the population of Guyana continues to be felt by elevated sea levels, heightened rain storm activity, changes in oceanic patterns and wildlife. The nation is particularly vulnerable to the effects.
One of the objectives of the Paris Conference was for the World Leaders to set standards aimed at slowing the rate at which the planet is heating up. There is no dispute that climate change is caused by industry pollution but the issue for the world leaders is how to reduce the pollution and by how much without inhibiting production.
Tackling climate change and other man-made environmental issues can be achieved by reducing the extraction of fossil fuel from the earth’s core and the development of  clean energy sources such as solar, wind and hydrological.
Guyana is not in a hurricane path, but the meteorological patterns in the past have revealed that the country is in the orbit of catastrophic rain storms which may last for generations to come. Not only that the people are faced with increased physical risks due to climate change, but they must also be aware that no one has control of the ecological system. If the new government is really serious about climate change, then it must be serious about green energy, economic diversification and the environment.
Already there are households that have turned to solar energy to meet some of their energy needs. However, the government must do its share to reduce the threat of climate change by investing in cost-effective and sustainable sources of energy.
The objective is very clear. According to scientists, global warming must not exceed two degrees Celsius and should not be allowed to increase by 6.3 degrees by the end of this century. Should this happen, it would spell disaster for countries in low lying areas such as Guyana for the fore-seeable future.
Therefore while most developing countries look to the biggest polluters in the world—United States, China, Brazil and India—to play their part in reducing pollution, it is also the responsibility for all countries, no matter their size, to make a contribution.
For years, Guyanese have experienced the effects of climate change due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, and the ensuing floods which have had a direct and personal impact on their lives at their residences, business places or at their farms. That is why the government must develop alternate energy systems such as wind and solar in order to reduce the harmful effects of pollution in the atmosphere.
Guyanese are hopeful that the Paris Climate Change Conference would lead to better results than the previous climate talks in Kyoto and Copenhagen. The Kyoto Protocol which was adopted in 1997 put the obligation to reduce emissions on the developed countries only.
The Copenhagen Summit, ratified in 2012 set the framework to keep any temperature increases on earth’s surface below two degrees. The Paris Conference ended with the agreement that all countries would adhere to the rules to reduce emissions in order to make the world a safer and better place for this and future generations.

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