An Assessment of the Preparedness of the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard to Respond to Marine Oil Spills

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This paper assesses the Guyana Defence Force’s level of preparedness to respond to marine oil spill incidents. A mixed-methods approach was used for this study, incorporating evidence from books, journals and articles on military responses to marine oil spill incidents globally as well as information from interviews and a questionnaire survey administered to the ranks of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard. The qualitative and quantitative data collected were coded and organized according to themes which formed the basis of the analysis under the five headings of policies, training, budgetary allocations, manpower, and equipment. The main finding of the study was that the Coast Guard, though equipped with all the necessary legislative power, has been challenged and deficient in such as manpower, specialised trained personnel, and budgetary allocation. This study also demonstrated that in order for the Coast Guard to effectively carry out the tasks set out in the National Oil Spill Plan, it must address the challenges and deficiencies it currently faces.

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