Latest update March 26th, 2025 6:54 AM
Latest News
- Rubio’s talks with Pres. Ali to focus heavily on oil and security threats from Venezuela—says US Special envoy
- ExxonMobil unlikely to reuse Guyana’s FPSOs in future projects
- Children among 62 killed as Israel pounds Gaza from north to south
- Pact signed for phase two of national healthcare initiative
- Missing man found dead in trench at Bee Hive
MOU signed for engineers to do Post Grad studies on water management
Permanent Secretary, Dindyal Permaul, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Sherwood Lowe and another official at the signing of the MOU Thursday.
In an effort to strengthen its human resource capabilities, the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Guyana (UG) and McGill University which will pave the way for engineers to read for a Post Graduate Certificate in Water Resource Management.
Permanent Secretary within the Ministry, Dindyal Permaul, inked the agreement with Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Sherwood Lowe, who signed on behalf of the University of Guyana.
A batch of 24 engineers is expected to be trained for the course with 15 persons being drawn from National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agri Development Authority.
The evening programme is set for commencement in April and will include all of the Ministry’s engineers.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, said the programme will entail hydrology and water resources management, drainage and irrigation, hydraulic structures and geotechnical investigation courses.
The training is part of the capacity building actions earmarked for the engineers to enhance their proficiency in water management and provide additional skills for the execution of their duties in a more effective manner.
The Minister stated that the severe deficiency of specialty in the area of hydrological studies has been recognised, prompting the unique partnership with the universities.
Minister Persaud noted that the Ministry is pleased to provide the resources to facilitate studies in these key areas since many persons employed under water and weather management systems have not benefited from training.
He added that the minimal training received by some has been proven inadequate given Guyana’s expanding cultivated lands and the effects of climate change.
“So we have to bring the technical advances of these institutions up to standard in the most cost effective manner. We also recognised the limitations of the programme offered by the University of Guyana…”
Minister Persaud said that during a visit to McGill University he explored the possibility of having a water management programme undertaken locally.
“It will allow every engineer in water management to be exposed to these areas of training in drainage and irrigation.”
The Minister stressed that there must be renewed efforts in equipping the ministry’s human resource with the necessary skills to build capacity.
He added that the investment in the unique partnership will also benefit the University of Guyana since the laboratory will require an upgrade.
”Let’s see if we can deepen this project and extend it to other countries in the region and really make Guyana the centre for excellence in water and land resource management,” the Agriculture Minister stated.
UG’s Vice Chancellor, Lawrence Carrington, said that he was delighted with the government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) since it creates the space within national development projects for new ideas.
“I recall that my very first initiative as Vice Chancellor was to open the possibility for a cross-faculty project on drainage, irrigation and coastal zone management. This programme is critical to the development of capacity and competence in an area that Guyana must cultivate in order to mitigate the deleterious effects of climate change and to maximise its natural resources,” Carrington said in his statement.
He further referred to Guyana as a living laboratory for the study of water resource management and its application to agricultural productivity, human health, alternative energy and economic growth.
Carrington said he cherished the tripartite initiative and congratulated Minister Persaud on his foresight in recognising applied scholarship as a catalyst to national development.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
No such common ground exists
Peeping Tom… The President of Guyana’s response, regarding today’s planned talks with the United States Secretary... more
The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?
By Sir Ronald Sanders For decades, many Caribbean nations have grappled with dependence on a small number of powerful countries... more
Weekend Cartoon
