Preliminary Study of the Hydrodynamics and Flood Vulnerabilities of the Lower Canje River, Guyana

• webmaster webmaster

During the rainy seasons of May-June-July and December-January, rainfall along the coast of Guyana is at its peak. Floods often result, causing the inundation of communities and farmlands, consequently resulting in enormous losses in crops and livestock and damage to homesteads. The aim of the study was to examine the vulnerability of the lower Canje River basin to flooding. A mixed-methods approach was used to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. These include the Google Earth Pro ruler tool for in-situ observation of stream depth, the float method to acquire stream flow, and community mapping to determine the spatial and temporal extent of the flood-prone zone in the study area. The results showed an inverse relationship between temperature and rainfall patterns for most of the period under study. Also, river discharge from the Canje Basin was affected by a number of factors. These include the surrounding vegetation of the river basin and the Torani Canal. These played a role in the susceptibility of the area to flooding

• PDF

• Land Management, Land Tenure, & Agricultural Issues