Repentance

“We are a nation that needs to repent.”

This sentiment is a common response to social ills and the politics that exploit the vulnerabilities, ignorance and prejudice of the people. It is even a common response when natural disasters occur.

Repentance is seeking forgiveness for offences with regret or remorse. We may be a nation that needs to repent for our insistence on disrespecting each other on the basis of ethnicity and political affiliation, which are factors that have undoubtedly stagnated us. We continue to stand on wobbly grounds and divided we fall, time and time again. But how can we be culpable where natural disasters are concerned? Is the depravity of the Guyanese people enough to summon Mother Nature’s wrath?

The above normal high tides a few days ago were disquieting. Over the years there have been many such occurrences. The tides often seem to dance across our sea defences, laugh as the waters gush and flood our communities and make a mockery of the walls which were first constructed by the Dutch in the 1880s; the impact of the tides often leave cracks and, in some cases, complete destruction.

Indubitably, coastal Guyana is under threat. While we have made efforts to fortify our sea defences, like raising the walls, planting mangroves and building rock armours, we are still under threat because there is nothing we can do to change the reality that we are below sea level. But there seems to be no widespread constant concern about the threat. When our feet touch the saline waters, or it destroys our crops and livestock, there is distress; but once the waters recede and we recover from our losses our worries calm. Perhaps we should repent for not addressing the issue as fervently as we should.

With the recent occurrences of above normal high tides, where several places were flooded, the levels at which the tides rose indicate that with time the risk is becoming greater.

According to a 2012 National Communication to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was prepared by the Government of Guyana with support from UNDP and the National Communication Support Programme, over the last century Guyana would have experienced significant changes in its climate. We all can attest to this by changes we continue to witness with our rainfall and the heat we all now endure. In the report, it was also noted that sea levels are expected to rise at a rate of 1cm a year and therefore about 40 cm to 60 cm by the end of the 21st century. Most of us will be dead by then, but what will we leave for our descendants to inherit and inhabit? Maybe we should repent for not making greater efforts to preserve what we now enjoy.

I lived near the ocean while growing up. I have many beautiful memories of hearing the waves in the quiet of the night and feeling the cool of the wind blowing in from the ocean. I loved it. But I also remember as child listening in on a conversation where an elder was recalling her childhood experiences. She said the ocean was farther away when she was a little girl, but the older she got, the closer the waters came. I recall how disturbed I was hearing this; fearing that the waters could gush across the land resulting in massive destruction including the loss of lives. And often when there was a breach or above normal high tides, I would panic when I saw the waters rising in the trenches and flooding the land. Later I had a better understanding of coastal erosion. Perhaps we should repent for a lack of knowledge and the unwillingness to educate ourselves about the threats we face.

But what can we do as individuals? With all of our inventions and technologies, is there anything that we can do to stop natural occurrences? Certainly, our actions have greatly impacted climate change; extra carbon emissions and greenhouse gases result from actions such as burning, extracting and refining, just to name a few. All the waste we dispose in the ocean has certainly also interrupted the natural flow. After the recent high tides, the plastic and other waste that the ocean deposited once again exposed how unconcerned many of us are about proper garbage disposal. Do we really fear the risks? Are we really concerned that one day the ocean may wash away coastal Guyana? Perhaps we should repent for lack of foresight and our lack of concern for preserving the environment.

Many of us may think that no massive devastation will occur during our lifetime. We will continue to enjoy our ocean front homes, our strolls while the wind blows in our faces, and our events near the ocean. Many people dismiss climate change while others believe that their gods will protect them from any imminent danger and that this world is not their home so whatever destruction occurs does not greatly concern them because they will eventually be in their eternal home away from this earth. Perhaps we should repent for operating solely on faith and not evidence.

There were many responses to the recent high tides. Some called on the government to move with urgency to fortify our sea defences and for there to be education on flood preparedness. This, without a doubt, is crucial. For many years there has been talk about making another part of Guyana, such as Linden, the capital. I believe it would be wise to consider this. Moving to the highlands is an option, but with most of the population residing in coastal Guyana, most of the people, I am quite certain, will not abandon everything they have built unless there is an impending certain threat to their lives.

Other reactions to the high tides and flooding included leaving it to God and prayers, while there were those who blamed the government and those who said drilling for oil is responsible. Perhaps we should repent for denying our abilities to effect change and removing ourselves from taking part in the blame.

A few of us making efforts to help combat climate change will not result in any notable changes. It is an issue we must tackle as a collective. The above normal tides of recent were alarming and all those who reside in coastal Guyana should be concerned; all should commit to making an effort that may help to alleviate the problem; all should be up to date with the strategies to tackle these issues that most likely will become more frequent in the future.

I wonder what coastal Guyana will look like in 2100 and I wonder if our descendants would have inherited the same traits that have hindered our growth and would also be in need of repentance.