The strong trends in climate change already evident and the likelihood of future changes makes it imperative that Guyanese find new ways of adapting to the global environment and the way it is changing.
“Guyana is an incredible country: we know we can plant anything here and it will grow. But with climate change we have to adapt we have to find new ways of doing agriculture, new ways of reducing vulnerability to heavy rainfall; to drought; to other erratic weather patterns ; We should not be complacent, ” UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller told students of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA)last week.
She made brief remarks to a gathering at the GSA Mon Repos Campus on the occasion of the turning of the sod for a shade house that will integrate hydroponics and aquaponics activities to promote climate-
smart agriculture in the schools’ compound.
The Shade house is being constructed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) and will be managed by the students on completion.
On that occasion of the High Commissioners remarks, IICA handed over 23 computers to GSA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gavin Ramnarine which will allow his students to begin an online training
program which will equip them with the principles of embedding gender equity in the agricultural sector.
The resources and training are part of the Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER) Project funded by Global Affairs Canada and
the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which is led by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and jointly implemented by IICA ,UN Women,World Food Programme
(WFP) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
Mr. Adam Loyer of Global Affairs Canada and Head of Cooperation for Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago disclosed that EnGenDER addresses the impact of climate change on agriculture on fisheries
health tourism and energy and on women and girls and other vulnerable groups .
He disclosed : “Canada is committed to supporting efficiency and climate resilience in the agricultural sector ; to strengthen food security, thereby helping in ensuring the adaptation of practices which contribute to Guyanese and Regional food security” United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yeşim Oruç stressed:
“With the EnGenDER UNDP is working with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and towards the global goals of sustainable development by putting women and young people at the center of climate adaptation, disaster, risk reduction strategies and plans.”
EnGenDER addresses any gaps to ensure equal access to disaster risk resilience, climate change and environment solutions for women, men, boys and girls in nine beneficiary Caribbean countries, including
Guyana.
