Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management Communicating Flood Risk Along Guyana’s Coast REGION: LATIN AMERICA AND THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION: CARIBBEAN FOCUS: RISK REDUCTION, PREPARED- In January 2005, heavy rainfall caused catastrophic flooding NESS, RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE along Guyana’s coasts, affecting 290,000 people – almost half COUNTRY: GUYANA of Guyana’s population. Total flood damage was estimated at $465 million, or nearly 60 percent of the country’s GDP, prompting the government to work towards increasing its capacity to manage flood risk. The government of Guyana, working with the World Bank, initiated the GEF-funded $3.8 million Conservancy Adaptation Project (CAP) to address catastrophic flood RESULTS: risks in Guyana’s coastal areas. The project strengthened understanding of the coastal drainage system and water • A targeted risk communication strategy, conservancy, improved drainage infrastructure, pinpointed including animated videos and key key strategic interventions to reduce flood risk and built publications, ensured that policy-makers, stakeholders, and local communities were institutional capacity. fully informed of disaster risk measures in case of catastrophic rainfall events. Funding of $260,000 for the technical assistance project was provided by the European Union (EU) in the framework • The project contributed to a $123 million of the Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) - EU Natural Disaster package of critical flood risk management investments from the World Bank and Risk Reduction (NDRR) Program, an initiative of the ACP other partners. Group of States managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). • Workshops were held to share information from the Conservancy Adaptation Project and disseminate technical information, facilitating information exchange and improving coordination within and between ministries and stakeholder groups. ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduc Ɵ on Program An ini Ɵ a Ɵ ve of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, funded by the European Union and managed by GFDRR CONTEXT: Guyana’s heavily populated and economically important coastal areas are often threatened by flooding from extreme precipitation events. The CAP effectively enabled the government of Guyana to take action to understand the coastal drainage systems and strengthen flood control infrastructure. However, to maximize risk mitigation efforts, policymakers needed to be informed of developments so that they could effectively engage in the process. It was also important to raise awareness of ongoing flood risks, mitigation strategies and project developments with policymakers, stakeholders and the general public to improve emergency preparedness and response. APPROACH: As the CAP progressed, the government worked closely with the World Bank team to interpret, package and disseminate relevant project material that was both technically accurate yet easy to understand for non-experts. The information also served to inform policymakers in capacity building activities and provided the information necessary for good decision-making. The project: • Presented a holistic view of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and East Coast drainage systems, including steps taken to understand and strengthen existing flood prevention infrastructure, and develop new flood mitigation measures; • Raised awareness through a multi-media approach that included technically-accurate videos, printed brochures and publications, and workshops; • Enhanced government knowledge and capacity to manage the EDWC and coastal drainage systems, resulting in a $123 million package of investments critical for flood risk management. LESSONS LEARNED: NEXT STEPS: Good communications and outreach is an important part of disaster recovery and prevention efforts. An approach that Various new flood-risk management investment projects are currently regularly disseminated the results of the project facilitated underway to improve the EDWC dam and EDWC and East Coast awareness, improved coordination and led to strong public drainage systems following the strategic investments identified under support for the CAP. the CAP. Consultation with stakeholders and communication of these Awareness raising and capacity building of policymakers new developments to relevant bodies and the general public is an can help avert future disasters. The 2005 and 2006 important and ongoing process. floods demonstrated that any system can have unknown This awareness, coupled with the development and maintenance of vulnerabilities. Without good communications, messages about flood control infrastructure in the EDWC and coastal areas, will enable preventative measures can be lost. Public awareness can also Guyana to better manage and mitigate the future effects of climate influence decision makers to take action. change. Coordination among stakeholders can be improved with better communications. The government of Guyana worked closely with the World Bank team throughout CAP implementation. The transparency resulting from effective communications of CAP activities significantly contributed to the smooth working relations among stakeholders, particularly encouraging Contact Armando Eduardo Guzman Escobar coordination amongst the government ministries, donor aguzman3@worldbank.org communities and other stakeholders. Learn more at www.gfdrr.org *ALL MONETARY VALUES IN USD