Climate change impacts on water resources in Guyana

With climate change and an expected consequent rise in sea level, salt water intrusion into rivers and possible adverse effects on aquifers is a major concern. Guyana is situated on the northeastern coast of South America, has an area of 215 000 km(2), and a population of about three quarters of a million people more than 90% of whom reside on a narrow coastal strip, less than 10 km from the ocean. The coastal strip is below high tide level of the Atlantic Ocean, is extremely flat, and is protected by a system of dykes that are constructed mainly of concrete and clay. A large number of large rivers flow south to north into the Atlantic Ocean. Water supply for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses is obtained from a combination of ground and surface water sources. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyse situations that Could arise as a result of sea level rise. A specific sea level rise of one metre by the end of the century and the impacts of this rise on water resources is investigated. The results indicate that the consequences for the surface water resources could be severe, but not as severe as for the groundwater resources.