PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FACILITY
REQUEST FOR PIPELINE ENTRY APPROVAL
AGENCY’S PROJECT ID:
GEFSEC PROJECT ID:
COUNTRY: Guyana
PROJECT TITLE: Conservancy Adaptation Project
GEF AGENCY: World Bank
OTHER EXECUTING AGENCY(IES):
DURATION: 3 Years
GEF FOCAL AREA: Climate Change
GEF OPERATIONAL PROGRAM: Special Climate
Change Fund
GEF STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Adaptation to
Climate Change
ESTIMATED STARTING DATE:
ESTIMATED WP ENTRY DATE:
PIPELINE ENTRY DATE: (if applicable)
FINANCING PLAN (US$)
GEF ALLOCATION
Project (estimated)
Project Co-financing
(estimated)
5,000,000
25,000,000
PDF A*
0
PDF B**
0
PDF C
0
Sub-Total GEF PDF
0
PDF CO-FINANCING (details provided in
Part II, Section E – Budget)
IBRD/IDA/IFC
0
Government Contribution
0
Others
25,000,000
Sub-Total PDF Cofinancing:
Total PDF Project
Financing:
* Indicate approval date of PDFA:
** If supplemental, indicate amount and date of
originally approved PDF:
RECORD OF ENDORSEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT:
(Enter Name, Position, Ministry)
Date: (Month, day, year)
Doorga Persaud, Executive Director
June 09, 2006
Environmental Protection Agency
This proposal has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies and procedures and meets the
standards of the GEF Project Review Criteria for approval.
Steve Gorman
GEF Executive Coordinator, World Bank
Date: September 8, 2006
Jocelyne Albert
Sr. GEF Regional Coordinator
Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank
Tel. and email: (202) 473-3458
Jalbert@worldbank.org
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PART I - PROJECT CONCEPT
A - SUMMARY
Somewhat different in scope and theme than previous GEF projects, the Guyana Conservancy
Adaptation Project represents important opportunities for learning and future application. The
majority of climate change related GEF projects have been focused on green house gas
emissions abatement and the study of potential impacts of climate change. These projects often
do not involve large infrastructure components aimed at strengthening physical assets to help
reduce the vulnerability to intense climactic events. Yet infrastructure is an important sector to
consider when implementing adaptation measures to better cope with the effects of climate
change. Structures that were not built to withstand the affects of climate change will suffer
damages, and costly losses will follow. Therefore, shifting the focus of the GEF Adaptation
Program to the implementation of adaptive measures to strengthen infrastructure could increase
the program’s robustness and effectiveness.
Like other low-lying coastal countries, Guyana is highly vulnerable to sea level rises and
changes in rainfall patterns. Heightened sea levels and more intense rain events increase the
vulnerability of low-lying coastal countries to severe flooding. Drainage and irrigation systems
that were constructed decades, or centuries ago were not designed to cope with these rapidly
evolving threats. The proposed project therefore aims to serve as a template that could be
applied to countries with similar geographical attributes in order to promote worldwide
application of physical infrastructure upgrades that are necessary to mitigate the risk of
catastrophic coastal flooding through the implementation of adaptation activities designed to
reduce vulnerabilities.
The objective of the proposed Conservancy Adaptation Project is to help the Government of
Guyana adapt to global climate changes by mitigating the country’s vulnerability to flooding.
The proposed project will help protect the coastal population currently vulnerable to annual
flooding and at risk of losing their homes and means of economic production. Specific project
objectives involve: a) conducting a comprehensive analytical assessment to serve as the
foundation for the upgrade of the East Demerara Water Conservancy system, which will be
financed by the Government, the IDB and possibly other donors; and, b) strengthening the
drainage capacity of Guyana’s most important water conservancy system.
Impacts of Climate Change
The global climate is changing rapidly. The 2001 Third Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that, with the continuing
emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), the global mean surface temperature may increase
between 1.5 and 5.8 degrees Celsius during the next 100 years. Documentation being used in
the preparation of the Fourth Assessment Report, due to be released by the year 2007,
corroborates the range of the projected increase. A change of this magnitude is unprecedented
and will result in significant impacts on a global scale.
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In addition to changing rainfall patterns, which has resulted in increased intensity of storm
events in the region, the documented rise in sea temperatures is expected to accelerate the
melting of polar ice caps, leading to an increase in mean sea levels. Low-lying coastal
countries that depend on sea levels to manage drainage systems are highly vulnerable to the
impact of rises in the mean sea level.
Water Conservancy Systems in Guyana
Guyana’s coastal zone is protected by an intricate network of seawalls, dykes, polders and
drainage structures built by the Dutch over 125 years ago. The country’s agrarian based
economy is highly dependent on these coastal drainage and irrigation networks. Semi-annual
rainy seasons (the strongest between June and July and a lesser rainy season between December
and January), are separated by dry periods during which little to no rain falls.
To accommodate this cycle, a system of dams and conservancies (or reservoirs) were
constructed to capture wet season rains and provide dry season irrigation water. A single water
conservancy system includes: i) a reservoir, molded by dams of clay and pegaas, for water
storage; ii) drainage canals that are used to release excess water from the reservoir during the
rainy season; and iii) secondary and tertiary irrigation canals that provide water to crops during
the dry periods. As a result Guyanese farmers are able to harvest two crops of sugar and rice
each year – making them the second most competitive sugar producers in the region after
Brazil.
East Demerara Water Conservancy
The most important water conservancy system in Guyana is the East Demerara Water
Conservancy (EDWC) system. The EDWC is a freshwater impoundment located in Region 4,
15 miles south of the most densely populated section of the Guyana coast. It is bounded to the
north by a 20 mile earthen dam structure built some 125 years ago and to the south by the
natural topographic rise composed largely of ancient coastal dune formations. The area
consists of an impoundment of some 550 hectares and ranges in depth to approximately 15 feet
along the dam. Over 500,000 citizens or two-thirds of the country’s population live near or
below sea-level in the 30 mile band, between Georgetown and the Mihaca River, along
Guyana’s coast protected by the EDWC.
The conservancy provides a source of drinking water for the Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, but
primarily serves to provide irrigation water during Guyana’s two dry seasons for the intensively
cultivated lands to the north and east of the conservancy. Water demand during these two dry
seasons is high as the principal crops for the region are sugar cane and rice, the country’s
principal export crops.
The dam is variously constructed of clay, earth and organic material (pegass) depending on the
section involved. Natural deterioration of the structure over the years coupled with a number of
severe stress events have resulted in a structurally weak dam. During the floods of 2004-2005,
the dam was overtopped due to high rainfall levels and it is clear from aerial surveys that the
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structure is creeping, particularly along the east end of the structure. This is the portion where
pegass was the principal material of construction.
Over the past several decades, the EDWC system, among others, has been damaged and/or
fallen into disrepair. The high cost of maintenance, coupled with limited fiscal resources,
resulted in the government’s deferral of system maintenance for the EDWC. Unmanaged
regional development has further exacerbated the problem as water control systems have been
altered or interdicted without a sound understanding of the systemic impacts of these changes.
In many cases, changes such as backfilling and cuts in the levies have changed the functional
dynamics of the system.
To accommodate regional land use changes over the years, numerous drainage structures were
constructed, modified or abandoned. No comprehensive plan was developed to coordinate these
changes, particularly as they applied to the EDWC system as a whole. Although these changes
addressed short-term land use needs, they furthered the systemic degradation of the EDWC
system as a whole. Various elements of the coastal drainage network have been analyzed for
agricultural exploitation, and some studies have been conducted relating to the function and
status of the sea defense system. Yet as of today, there is no comprehensive analysis of the
region’s water conservancy system, nor is there a functional topographic base for drainage
analysis.
The scope and urgency of the threat of a failure of the EDWC system is further exacerbated by
the documented effects that climate change is having on the regional water cycle. As a result,
the scope of actions required to address this challenge is beyond the capacity of the
Government of Guyana without outside assistance. The floods of 2005 and 2006 brought to
light the extreme urgency for rehabilitating protective drainage structures, particularly the
EDWC system, and in particular the urgent need for relieving pressure behind, and directly
strengthening, the EDWC dam. Continued deterioration of the system wouldhave catastrophic
consequences; potentially displacing 75 percent of the country’s population. The impact would
include loss of the capital city, the livelihoods of most citizens and the loss of the country’s
principal export products.
Impacts of Climate Change on the EDWC System
Changes in the severity of individual rainfall events, variations in annual rainfall levels and sea
level rise represent significant threats to the EDWC system, future agricultural productivity of
Guyana and the overall welfare of its inhabitants.
Increased intensity of rainfall events will limit the government’s ability to manage conservancy
water levels and compromise the system’s ability to safely discharge water during the rainy
seasons. Water levels of the conservancy must be kept at a lower baseline to protect the
integrity of the system. Yet, as annual rainfall decreases, water levels within the conservancy
reservoirs must be increased during the wet season to capture enough rain in order to ensure
water availability during the dry season. Lowering water levels in the conservancies during
the wet season to cope with greater rainfall intensity will limit the amount of agricultural
production possible during the dry season, due to a lack of water.
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Decrease in Average Rainfall; Increase in Rainfall Intensity
The tangible by-product of climate change that will put the most strain on Guyana’s water
conservancy systems is a change in rainfall patterns. According to Guyana’s National
Vulnerability Assessment (2002), a doubling of carbon dioxide emissions is expected to
decrease monthly rainfall by 10mm/month. Estimates from climate models developed by the
United Kingdom’s Meteorological Office’s Hadley Centre, support the prediction that Guyana
will be confronted with a general drying out. In fact these models demonstrate that Guyana
will be among the most affected countries in the world, with average precipitation decreasing
by roughly 1 mm/day by 2050.
Decreased annual rainfall will lead to a greater dependence on the EDWC system, which is
presently under stress. The maintenance of high water levels will be required to ensure that the
highly water intensive production of rice and sugar is sustained. Yet the flooding of coastal
lowlands in January 2005 and 2006 demonstrates the inability of Guyana’s water conservancy
systems to discharge adequate amounts of water during heavy rains.
In order to maintain sufficient volumes of water in the conservancy system during the dry
season, certain attributes of the EDWC system need to be strengthened in order to allow the
authorities to discharge excess water during periods of high rain. Without increasing the
drainage capacity of the EDWC, water maintenance levels in the conservancies will have to be
lowered, leading to lower agricultural production.
Sea Level Rise
While sea levels are rising on a global scale, a rate of 2-4 mm/year, Guyana’s National
Vulnerability Assessment (2002) forecasts a greater impact on their coastal region. This
projection is supported by work conducted by Douglas (1995) and Smith et al (1999). Based on
local tidal observations, sea level in the region of Guyana is increasing at a rate in excess of 10
mm/year - or 2 to 5 times faster than the global estimate.
Using the commonly accepted Atmospheric - Ocean General Circulation Model (O-A GCM)
approach to analyze future sea level changes, the projected rise of the mean sea level along the
Atlantic Coast of Guyana, neglecting melt water runoff from land areas and based on transient
simulations of the Model, is projected to be about 40cm by the end of the 21st century.
Compounding this effect, the water conservancy systems were constructed some 125 years ago.
Therefore, these systems are already suffering from the effects of sea level rise (estimated 150
years at 7mm/year approximately 1 meter increase) experienced since its original construction.
As sea level rises, the drainage capacity of the EDWC is compromised, making the dams,
particularly the EDWC dam, at risk of failure. Because drainage infrastructure is principally
gravity based, the drainage capacity of the water is dependent on low sea levels. Release of
water from the conservancies is possible only during to the low tide. As sea levels rise, the
ability for Guyanese authorities to expunge water from the conservancy system will continue to
diminish.
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Proposed Development Objectives
The objective of the proposed Conservancy Adaptation Project is to help the Government of
Guyana adapt to global climate changes by mitigating the country’s risk to flooding. This goal
will be achieved through the support of a long-term intervention and adaptation program
designed to increase the drainage capacity of the EDWC system and to strengthening the
Government’s understanding of the functionality of the this system. The project will help
protect the coastal population currently vulnerable to annual flooding and at risk of losing their
homes and means of economic production. Specific project objectives involve: a) conducting a
comprehensive analytical assessment to serve as the foundation for the upgrade of the EDWC
conservancy system; and, b) strengthening the drainage capacity of the EDWC.
A major component of the GEF would finance is a comprehensive analytical assessment of the
EDWC system. The assessment will develop the critical tool that would be used to highlight
and prioritize key repairs and improvements works would be undertaken by the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) and other donors.
In coordination with other donors as well as the Government of Guyana, a comprehensive
strategy to address the many challenges confronting Guyana’s water conservancy systems will
be designed, developed and implemented.
B - COUNTRY OWNERSHIP
1. COUNTRY ELIGIBILITY
Guyana ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on August 29, 1994 and
entered the agreement on November 27, 1994. Guyana is in conformity with the GEF’s
eligibility criteria as determined by the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change. Article 4.1 (e) of the Convention recognizes the importance of
adaptation in the context of disasters, stating, “All Parties shall ‘Cooperate in preparing for
adaptation to the impacts of climate change; develop and elaborate appropriate and integrated
plans for coastal zone management, water resources and agriculture, and for the protection and
rehabilitation of areas, particularly in Africa, affected by drought and desertification, as well as
floods.’”
2. COUNTRY DRIVENNESS
The last Guyana Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) was issued on September 19, 2002.
Strengthening of the EDWC system was not included in the CAS because high risks to the
network were not so apparent. The impacts of climate change were not taken into account and
the conservancy was not expected to reach its operationally effective threshold. With over 75
percent of the population living in at risk areas, and because the integrity of the system is
suspect, strengthening the EDWC system is now a top priority of the Government and the
donor community.
The floods of 2005 and 2006 highlighted the significant risks posed by the weakened
containment and drainage capacities of the EDWC system. After the January 2005 floods, the
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authorities demonstrated only modest commitment to recommendations made in Spring 2005 to
open five blocked relief canals and implement a long-term rehabilitation strategy. Within a
constrained public finance framework, action was not taken because it was argued, and widely
believed, that the January 2005 floods were a once in a thousand year event. As flooding
occurred again the following year, the Government and the international community recognized
flood management to be crucial to the Guyana’s economic, social and political well-being.
The Guyanese Government’s commitment to strengthening the EDWC system by mitigating
the growing risk posed by climate change has shifted notably since floods of 2006 The World
Bank team’s key concern, that there existed a lack of political will to address the long-term
needs crucial to the continued functionality of EDWC system, has been alleviated for the
following reasons:


The recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Engineering Assessment,
developed in collaboration with the Government of the Netherlands (February 2006),
captured the Government’s attention. The report underscores the vulnerability of the
EDWC dam and the system’s ability to discharge excess water, which could soon lead
to structural failure if no immediate and aggressive intervention aimed at reducing the
EDWC system’s vulnerability is undertaken;
The Government is responsive to the climate change adaptation argument and supports
the proposed project to help the country confront emerging vulnerabilities resulting
from global climate changes. The GEF Focal Point has expressed strong agreement
with this focus and has assured the World Bank that the Government would support
such work.
The level of urgency concerning the proposed Water Conservancy Adaptation Project cannot
be over-stated. The Northeastern portion of the EDWC dam is particularly vulnerable to
collapse, and the remainder of the EDWC system, including downstream canals, is in poor
condition. Should rain levels be similar to those of the past two years, without any interventions
to strengthen the EDWC system, Guyana will lose its ability to control water levels. As a
result, lives will be lost and agricultural production that is made possible by the EDWC would
collapse.
C – PROGRAM AND POLICY CONFORMITY
1. PROGRAM DESIGNATION AND CONFORMITY
The proposed project would support the GEF Climate Change Focal Area by increasing
Guyana’s ability to adapt to the regional impacts from climatic changes. Due to climatic
changes, sea levels are rising and rainfall events have become more severe, even though overall
annual rainfall appears to be decreasing. The proposed project supports the Special Climate
Change Fund Operational Program by promoting adaptation measures through the upgrading of
EDWC system’s drainage component to address the increased demands that stem from lower
annual volume and increased intensification of rainfall in the coastal zone.
Additionally, the project intends to support CB-1 Enabling Activities for climate change. The
project aims to increase the Government’s capacity to understand the dynamics of the EDWC
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system and to better control water levels in an effort to effectively manage water flows during
wet and dry periods.
2. PROJECT DESIGN
The proposed project is being developed in close collaboration with key donor partners. Over
the past year, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID), the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the IDB have participated in
discussions with the Guyanese government concerning the need to adapt the country’s water
conservancy systems to meet the increase flooding hazard brought about through climate
change. In response to the 2005 floods, DfID donated roughly US$2 million to the Government
of Guyana to implement recommendations made by the 2005 World Bank’s Needs Assessment.
The IDB, with over US$25 million in resources available for Guyana’s water conservancy
systems, has expressed interest in working with the World Bank to create a comprehensive and
long term rehabilitation strategy for the country’s water conservancy systems.
The World Bank has the experience, technical expertise and credibility to lead, in tandem with
the IDB, a serious donor intervention to repair the EDWC system’s drainage component. In
February 2005, the World Bank’s Hazard Risk Management team conducted a Damage and
Needs Assessment that summarized the overall challenges facing the EDWC drainage network,
outlined a short-term strategy to relieve pressure on the EDWC dam. A joint IDB/World Bank
mission visited Guyana in March 2006 to assess Government commitment to a long-term
rehabilitation strategy. The joint mission agreed on the viewpoint that Government has
expressed the level of interest necessary to being project preparation.
The alternative approach to using a GEF financed Adaptation Grant is for the World Bank to
take no action. The limited IDA 14 allocation of US$20 million has already been committed to
other projects and therefore the World Bank would not have the resources to finance a program
to strengthen the EDWC system. One alternative instrument does exist; the Japanese Thematic
Climate Change Policy and Human Resource Development (PHRD) Grant worth up to US$1
million. Because of the scope of the works in Guyana, US$1 million would not have the
impact needed to make a fundamental difference in mitigating the risks of climate change
related flooding.
An intervention strategy would be created jointly by the World Bank and the IDB. The study
will build on the recommendations of the UNDP and the Government of the Netherlands
Engineering Assessment of 2006 Floods, completed by Mott McDonald and WI Delft
Hydraulics. By interlinking the proposed project with a US$25 million IDB program to
rehabilitate Guyana’s water conservancy systems, the proposed project not only leverages the
grant funds made available by GEF, but will also help raise the profile of both the GEF facility
and the need to improve EDWC drainage network infrastructure to adapt to climate change.
Project Components
The proposed project will finance a comprehensive analytical tool to plan future interventions
within the EDWC system as well as specific works and operational improvements aimed at
8
enhancing the water management capacity of the EDWC. The tools developed under the
analytical component of the project will be used by the IDB to help develop a comprehensive
US$25 million flood management project. It is expected that other donors, who have expressed
interest in the program, will participate as the program progresses.

Component 1 - Analytical Study. Analysis will include, inter-alia:
o System Mapping: Existing conservancy and coastal drainage and irrigation
systems will be plotted and large-scale elevation maps using a combination of
aerial photography coupled with LIDAR (light detection and ranging)
technology will be produced. Where necessary, conventional land survey
techniques will also be used to augment data production.
o Assessment of System Integrity: A stocktaking exercise of all dam structures
(including dams, canals, levies, sluices and kokers) will be conducted to judge
parts of the system that are not operational, which need repairs and replacement,
to allow the system to operate at maximum capacity
o Flow Model: A flow model of the conservancy system will be developed to
evaluate the drainage system in a comprehensive manner. This flow model will
help identify key bottlenecks for effective drainage and purging.

Component 2 Intervention works and operational improvements: The project will
finance key interventions to the EDWC and coastal zone drainage systems. Works to
be financed by the GEF will center on improving the ability of the Government to
manage water levels behind the EDWC during heavy rains and will involve improving
water flows in the conservancy and increasing its drainage capacity to the Demerara
River. Improvements to conservancy dams are not contemplated under this grant
because the scope of such works is beyond the capacity of this project to execute;
therefore these works will be deferred to the larger IDB initiative. Interventions
envisioned include inter alia:
o Rehabilitation of key water control structures: clearing of one or two key
drainage canals; rationalization and improvement of water flow systems; and
improvements to water removal systems.
o Improvements to conservancy operational systems: water level and
meteorological monitoring and reporting; field communications; transportation;
and, emergency access improvements.

Component 3 Project Management and Donor coordination: The GEF will finance
broad consultations with donors, Government and civil society, in order to create
consensus and develop a prioritization strategy.
3. SUSTAINABILITY (INCLUDING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY)
There exist a number of potential risks that may jeopardize the execution of the Water
Conservancy Adaptation Project. The risks will be addressed at each phase of the project cycle.
The risks that threaten the realization of the development objectives are as follows: a) system
failure – country floods before the system can be repaired; b) delayed implementation of the
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IDB follow-on program c) poor implementation capacity at the local level; and, d) change in
Government priority – Government decides the program is no longer a national priority.
Mitigating system failure is the primary objective of the project. Not carrying out the GEF
project and the subsequent follow-on IDB rehabilitation program would result in an increased
likelihood of system failure. The EDWC system’s dam and drainage components are at a
critical state and must be upgraded quickly to protect the vulnerable population and regional
agricultural productivity- before the system collapses.
The Government of Guyana needs significant outside support and consultation to prepare and
implement the proposed project. Guyana has limited technical capacity and will need extensive
support to confront the challenges of upgrading the water conservancy systems. The proposed
project will likely consist of three to four contracts with close supervision from the World Bank
team and support to Guyanese technical staff.
A key component of the project is to inform and educate the Guyanese authorities of the risks
they face due to the weakness of the EDWC dam and the system’s inability to expunge
rainwater during the wet season. Doing so will maintain momentum generated at project
preparation and mitigate potential changes in government priorities.
The World Bank environmental impact matrix rates the proposed Water Conservancy
Adaptation a Category B. In addition to extensive analytical work, specific infrastructure
improvements would include: rehabilitation of key water control structures; clearing of one or
two key drainage canals; rationalization and improvement of water flow systems; and,
improvements to water removal systems. Areas of intervention will be selected based on the
analytical work completed under the first phase of the project. Once interventions are
highlighted and prioritized, environmental impact assessments will be conducted before any
physical work takes place.
4. REPLICABILITY
The proposed project addresses GEF Special Climate Change Fund goals. Specifically, the
proposed project embodies the GEF’s shift in focus from knowledge and learning oriented
projects to investment projects. As the first proposed adaptation project that seeks to
strengthen major infrastructure works to respond to increasing climactic variability, the project
offers significant opportunities for learning. Instead of studying potential impacts of climate
change, the proposed project focuses on how to strengthen infrastructure to adapt to increasing
pressures on the systemic integrity of EDWC system as a result of increased climactic
variability. The output of this project will lay the foundation for a significant rehabilitation
program designed to help Guyana strengthen its infrastructure to adapt to lower annual rainfall
and increased rainfall intensity resulting from global climactic changes. As such, the project
would be a model that would enable other governments to initiate a dialogue regarding the need
to reassess big infrastructure projects to ensure that engineering designs are sufficient to
withstand and accommodate the effects of climate change.
5. STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT/INTENDED BENEFICIARIES
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BENEFICIARIES
Every citizen of Guyana will benefit from the successful implementation of the Water
Conservancy Adaptation Project. Direct beneficiaries will be the 75 percent of the population
living in coastal areas protected by the conservancy drainage system. The remaining 25
percent of the population will benefit indirectly from the increased political and economic
stability resulting from a sturdy drainage system not at risk of systemic failure. Without this
intervention, and the follow-on IDB rehabilitation program, the conservancy drainage system
would likely experience a systemic failure, leading to a collapse of the livelihoods of 75 percent
of the population, of overall national output, and of general rule of law.
Various national private stakeholders hold vested interests in the EDWC system and may feel
threatened by the proposed project, as they may interpret its activities as potential constraints
on their current operations. These risks can be mitigated through consultations, workshops,
seminars, and presentations designed to alleviate any misconceptions, explain facts and discuss
the urgency of the problem in such a fashion. As these communities are identified,
environmental and social assessments and resettlement plans will be considered as part of the
proposed project.
D - FINANCING
1) FINANCING PLAN
The investment for the implementation of the Conservancy Adaptation Project would require
US$5 million, over a period of 3 years. The proposed project would likely involve three to four
contracts, to be executed by an international engineering firm with expertise in conservancy
drainage systems. The firm will conduct all studies and assessments. They will also design,
contract out, and supervise the ensuing infrastructure adaptation works.
A breakdown of the investments and activities to be supported under the Conservancy
Adaptation Project is summarized in the table below:
Component
Task 1 – Topographic and
Bathymetric Mapping To
Support Modeling
- LIDAR Topography and
Aerial Photography
-GPS Horizontal Control
Benchmarks
-Ground Control Points
-Leveling and Bathymetry
(Dam Crest, Dam Crosssections, Conservancy
Transects, Bathymetric
Survey of the Channel
System, Outlet Structures)
-Vertical Control Stations
2006
2007
300,000
1,000,000
2008
Total
1,300,000
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Task 2 – Modelling of the East
Demerara Water Conservancy
for Flood Control Management
Task 3 – East Demerara Water
Conservancy Dam Safety
-Engineering Assessment and
Critical works for the EDWC
conservancy and Dam
-Medium-term Engineering
Feasibility Study for the
alignment of the EDWC Dam
from Non-Pareil to Flagstaff
200,000
300,000
300,000
150,000
350,000
Task – 4 Coastal Lowlands
Drainage Analysis and Works
Identification
150,000
150,000
Task 5 - Near-term Works
-Provisional Hydraulic
Modeling
-Internal Conservancy
Drainage Improvements
-Increase Relief Capacity of
Kofi Outlet
-Construction of Kofi Canal
improvements
-Safety Improvements to
Existing Water Control
Structures
-Project level environmental
assessment to the Kofi Outlet
1,600,000
1,600,000
Task 6 – Installation of
Hydrologic Monitoring
Equipment And Data Capture
50,000
50,000
Task 7 – Selected equipment
purchase and installation
100,000
350,000
450,000
Contingencies
850,000
Total
5,000,000
2) CO-FINANCING
As described above, the analytical tools developed under the proposed GEF Conservancy
Adaptation Project will be used as the input to the follow-on US$25 million IDB rehabilitation
program. The US$5 million in grant funds will be used to leverage the Government to strongly
commit to a crucial upgrading of the EDWC conservancy drainage system that should mitigate
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the effects of climate change that have manifested themselves in the form of extensive flooding
over the past two years. Linking the project with a larger donor financed project will help raise
the profile of both the GEF facility and the need to improve infrastructure to adapt to climate
change.
E - INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION AND SUPPORT
1) CORE COMMITMENTS AND LINKAGES
This project is intended for support under the Special Climate Change Fund, thus emphasis is
being given to the implementation of adaptation measures. This will provide value added in
terms of global learning and will not duplicate the activities under implementation or
preparation. In this context, the project would coordinate its work with activities being
developed with CARICOM’s Community Climate Change Center (CCCC), being implemented
through the World Bank/GEF.
Strong linkages have been made between the World Bank team and the IDB, in order to
leverage the GEF funds to develop a comprehensive flood management strategy in coastal
Guyana. The analytical tools developed under the proposed project will be applied by the
Government of Guyana, together with the IDB, as they work towards implementing sound
infrastructure improvements to assist the Government in managing increasing flood risks that
have materialized as a result of climactic changes.
The World Bank and IDB teams are communicating and coordinating with other donor
agencies engaged in Guyana in an effort to promote greater participation in climate change
adaptation activities. It is hoped that as the process moves forward, additional funds will be
made available for key drainage infrastructure investments that increase the Government’s
ability to manage water levels during times of increasingly intense rainfall.
2) CONSULTATION, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN AND AMONG
IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES, EXECUTING AGENCIES, AND THE GEF SECRETARIAT, IF
APPROPRIATE.
An implementation structure would be put in place that maximizes cost effectiveness, timely
execution, ownership and transparency amongst stakeholders. Representatives from various
government agencies that would be responsible for the use and management of the digital
elevation and flow models would be participating members of a steering committee. Oversight,
coordination and ownership amongst stakeholders for the success of the program therefore
require the establishing of a Steering Committee which tasks would be:





Define, develop and oversee Project Strategy;
Insure proper and timely coordination between the different stakeholders;
Approve the annual Operation Plans and Budgets as well as the operational and
technical processes for the implementation of the Project;
Approve procurement and major technical decisions;
Publish on the Government Web-Page GINA and through a press release, on a semiannual basis, the major achievements of the Program;
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
Provide guidance to the Project Execution Unit (PEU) as necessary.
The Members of the Steering Committee would be:





The Chairman of the National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) or his delegate,
who will chair the meetings;
A representative of the Minister of Finance;
The Head of the River and Sea Defense Division of the Ministry of Public Works;
The Head of Lands and Surveys Commission ;
Chief officer of the Civil Defense Commission.
The Manager of the PEU will act as the Secretary of the Steering Committee (without voting
power), shall provide the Committee with all the relevant information and will be responsible
for recording its deliberations.
3) IMPLEMENTATION/EXECUTION ARRANGEMENTS
The GEF program entails the procurement of a small number of contracts. A small PEU will
be housed within the NDIA. A procurement officer/project manager and a project accountant
would be responsible for carrying out the procurement of these contracts in a transparent
manner that is in line with World Bank guidelines. The procurement officer/project manager
would be responsible with managing the project and coordinating the activities of all parties.
The financial officer would be tasked preparing quarterly Financial Monitoring Reports and
overseeing an annual external audit. Technical engineers from agencies represented by the
steering committee would work with the consulting firm in the development of the digital
elevation and flow models. In doing so, this unit would gain the training and experience
necessary to manage, operate and expand the technical tools developed under proposed project.
An administrative assistant would also be included, to assist the project manager/procurement
officer.
General Execution Scheme: Oversight by a Steering Committee and Execution by Project
Execution Unit (PEU)
STEERING COMMITTEE
FINANCIAL OFFICER
PROGRAM MANAGER /
PROCUREMENT OFFICER
TECHNICAL TEAM
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
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PART II – RESPONSE TO REVIEWS
A - CONVENTION SECRETARIAT
B - OTHER IAS AND RELEVANT EXAS
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