Removal of mangroves will improve the health of people living in this neighbourhood

In a SN Editorial of June 7, the view was expressed that the President of Guyana did not seem duly concerned about the destruction of mangroves at Malgre Toute on the West Bank of Demerara for the construction of a port facility to service the oil, gas and other industries although Guyanese environmentalists have expressed a hue and cry about the proposal. The President’s apparent indifference appears to contradict his June 5 World Environmental Day speech wherein he stated, “as we continue to protect our environment whilst expanding economic opportunities for our people and in the process my Government has established a natural strategy for mangrove protection and restoration along our coastline and rivers.” Unfortunately this strategy was never elucidated to show that there were unmitigated circumstances.

The plot of foreshore in question approved for development is overgrown with mangroves and infested with mosquitoes and crustaceans. Removal of the mangroves will improve the health of the people living in this neighborhood as well as enhance their properties values with the scenic beauty of the river in full view and the cooling effects of the NE Tradewinds. Hence, clearing of the mangroves will improve their environment provided that the foreshore is adequately protected with a river defence that protects the adjoining land from high tide flooding and erosion from tidal currents. Construction of the wharfage facility at Malge Toute will assist in the economic development of Guyana in several ways since it will provide much needed wharfage capabilities for the newly developing oil and gas industries as well as the country’s import and export trades. Georgetown’s port facilities are at their limits and have little or no room for expansion.

In the not too distant future, the Government will be awarding a contract to build a permanent bridge across the Demerara River in close proximity of the Malge Toute wharfage. The contractor for the bridge will be foreign based and much of the bridge’s components will be manufactured abroad and shipped to the site for assembly. Therefore, temporary wharfage facilities will have to be found to moor vessels as well as to store components for the bridge and the Malge Toute facility will be ideally suited for this purpose and importantly, it should affect the final cost for constructing the bridge. The Malge Toute wharfage project should not be considered as a clandestine pillaging of a mangrove swamp but a carefully considered effort to develop Guyana’s economy and improve the well-being of its people.