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–seminar told

A two-week seminar on disaster preparedness and crisis management concluded last week at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) following which it was disclosed that current methods of weather forecasting needed timely improvement to better the country’s preparations for flood-related disasters.

CDC’s Major Bruce Munroe, who headed one of two groups which studied and discussed factors involved in flood preparations, noted that current weather forecasts produced locally are mainly general predictions of the weather. He said that the CDC’s preparations for floods could be improved if weather reports focused on specific areas. As an example, he noted that current forecasts give a general outlook of what the nation should expect on the coastland rather than a specific area. However, he noted that weather forecasting in Guyana is currently in its embryonic stage and the completion of the new Doppler radar facility at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri as well as the development and implementation of hydrological computer models should see improvement in this area.

-CDC under-resourced
The severe flooding of coastal communities in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and others situated alongside rivers has been met with “weak” coordination on the ground by the relevant stakeholders, an assessment conducted by Oxfam International has revealed.

It has also found that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which is responsible for coordinating emergency responses, has been hindered by limited resources.

Dochfour residents will likely be surrounded by foetid floodwater this Christmas as up to yesterday the Hope koker and pumping station had not been effective in draining the area.For more than two weeks over two feet of foul-smelling, stagnant water has been on the land. The water has transformed the streets and yards of Dochfour into a soft cushiony bed for the holiday and, although it has receded approximately one and half inches, it does not appear that it will be gone anytime soon especially as the rain is continuing.

-CDC under-resourced
The severe flooding of coastal communities in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and others situated alongside rivers has been met with “weak” coordination on the ground by the relevant stakeholders, an assessment conducted by Oxfam International has revealed.

It has also found that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which is responsible for coordinating emergency responses, has been hindered by limited resources.

Head of the Task Force to Aid Farmers, Brian Greenidge, was however, reported last night by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying that NGO’s report is not comprehensive and does not speak of the numerous actions taken to alleviate the situation.
According to the Oxfam International Situation report, the flooding situation this year seems to be comparable with the situation in 2005, when the country experienced its worst case of extensive rainfall and flooding. Continuous intense rainfall, which began in December, has led to flooding of communities, with the worst hit communities having approximately five feet of water in some areas. Low-lying agricultural areas have been the hardest hit.