Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 06, 2014 News
– project also targeting poor math results
The World Bank has approved US$21M to help fight flooding on the coast and introduce systems to raise the levels in the country’s Mathematics skills.
According to the funding institution yesterday, more than 300,000 Guyanese will benefit from reduced flooding risks and an improved secondary education.
A US$11M credit from the International Development Association (IDA) approved yesterday by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank will be going towards the flooding alleviation measures.
According to World Bank, nearly 90 percent of Guyana’s population live on a narrow coastal plain, largely below sea level and vulnerable to climate change.
“Extreme rainfall in 2005 resulted in flooding and damages estimated at nearly 60 percent of GDP or US$465 million at the time. The impact on poverty was evident and many subsistence farmers, small business operators and vendors were affected.”
Specifically, the project will see the upgrade of critical sections of the East Demerara Water Conservancy dams and channels and target the improvement of drainage capacity in priority areas along the villages in the area.
The US$11M credit will also be used to install instruments to monitor hydro-meteorological data, as part the flood preparedness programme.
The second project approved was for US$10 million. With criticisms rife over Guyana’s falling grades in Mathematics, this ambitious project, World Bank is convinced, will increase enrollment in general secondary schools and improve standards of mathematics teaching for secondary education.
“These two credits aim at reducing poverty and providing opportunities for all Guyanese by reducing vulnerability to climate change and ensuring quality secondary education,” said Sophie Sirtaine, the World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean.
“To boost competitiveness, it is essential to address the vulnerability to climate risks and ensure that the skills learnt in the classroom lay the foundation for future work-place success.”
World Bank noted that about 85 percent of young Guyanese are enrolled in secondary education. The government has set an objective to achieve quality universal secondary education.
Among concrete results to be achieved by the project are 2,600 new students from vulnerable areas enrolled in general secondary schools.
The project will also include a pilot technology-assisted learning initiative targeting Mathematics.
One part of it will include 600 secondary schools’ mathematics teachers trained, with the standards used to rate these teachers increased.
Mathematics kits will also be distributed to 250 secondary schools under the programme.
According to the World Bank, the IDA credits to the Government of Guyana have a final maturity of 25 years, with a five-year grace period.
The funding especially for the flooding project would be one of the most significant.
Following the 2005 floods which devastated the East Coast Demerara area, Government had announced plans to build an alternative outlet from the conservancy. This led to the $3.6B Hope Canal project which is expected to be completed this year.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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