This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV AEMR EAID PGOV GY
SUBJECT: GUYANA FLOOD UPDATE: WATER LEVEL STABLE 
 
REF: (A) GEORGETOWN 70, (B) GEORGETOWN 59, 
 
     (C) GEORGETOWN 58, (D) GEORGETOWN 53, 
     (E) GEORGETOWN 45, (F) GEORGETOWN 41 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Several days of relatively good weather have 
allowed water levels in affected areas to lower slightly. 
The GOG declared two of the affected regions disaster areas 
and briefed donors of the potential need for assistance in 
mitigation and disaster prevention. Meanwhile, reports of 
vandalism of the water management system have pitted farmers 
against cattle ranchers in flood relief efforts. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------- 
A Wet January 
--------------------------- 
¶2.  The  water level in the East Demerara Water  Conservancy 
(EDWC) remains elevated but falling following heavy rainfall 
beginning  in late December and continuing through  January. 
Rainfall  in Georgetown for the month of January totaled  22 
inches,  three times the historical average. The  Government 
of   Guyana  declared  Guyana's  Administrative  Region   5, 
Mahaica/Berbice,  a disaster area as well  as  the  Pomeroon 
River   catchment   area   in   Administrative   Region   2, 
Pomeroon/Supenaam  on  Saturday, January  28,  briefing  the 
donor  community  of the potential need  for  financing  for 
disaster prevention and mitigation, including rehabilitation 
of  livelihoods  and drainage infrastructure.  A  team  from 
United  Nations Economic Commission for Latin  American  and 
the  Caribbean  (ECLAC) is expected  in  Guyana  shortly  to 
conduct an assessment of the flood situation in the disaster 
areas. 
 
¶3. An officer from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster 
Assistance visited the Mahaica River area on January 29 and 
reported no apparent demand for large scale humanitarian 
assistance. Many residents of the affected areas are 
reportedly holding fast in their homes. The UN estimates 
that that around 3,500 families are affected by the floods, 
and 400 individuals are currently being housed in shelters 
operated by the Civil Defence Commission. 
 
¶4. Reports of vandalism of the drainage system have surfaced 
at several points along the East Coast. Officials speculate 
that cattle farmers, whose stock graze on land between the 
Conservancy and the Crown Dam that divides the grazing area 
from lands used for rice farming, have disabled the kokers 
and cut holes in the crown dam so as to drain the grazing 
land.  This saves cattle, but floods villages.  The GOG has 
dispatched joint police-military patrols to monitor the 
situation and offered a GD 1 million award (USD 4,975) for 
information leading to the arrest of vandals. 
 
¶5. EDWC management has placed 20,000 sandbags along a 
section of the dam identified a vulnerable to overtopping. A 
heretofore unused outlet to the Atlantic has also started to 
drain water out of the conservancy. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
A Call for Reliable Information 
-------------------------------------- 
¶6. There is concern about conflicting reports of water 
levels in the EDWC.  The EDWC Water Level Management Manual 
developed in the aftermath of the January floods calls 
states that the water level as measured at the Lama sluice 
should not exceed 58.5 GD during rainy season.  The EDWC 
board should aim to have water level at the Full Supply 
Level of 57.5 GD at the end of the rainy season.  The water 
level also serves as a tripwire at various stages of post's 
disaster preparedness scenarios.  Consul is in regular 
contact with EDWC staff, who measure and report the EDWC 
water levels. The measurements he reports are often 
different from those reported by the Guyana Information 
Agency.  Major General (ret.) Joe Singh, a key figure in the 
Guyana Concerned Citizen's Initiative for Flood Relief NGO 
founded in response to the January 2005 floods, told the 
Ambassador that he believes the GOG deliberately 
underreports water levels in the EDWC to avoid causing 
panic.  Comment: the difference may also be due to the fact 
that water levels vary over time and the levels reported by 
GINA are normally several hours old by the time they hit the 
wires. 
 
¶7. Col. John Lewis, a member of the Strategic Emergency 
Engineering Committee charged with drafting an engineering 
response to last year's floods, believes that the manager of 
the EDWC may actually exaggerate the water level in the EDWC 
to elevate his own status. What is clear is that water 
management officials have not held fast to the tripwires in 
the EDWC management plan, as the water level has 
occasionally briefly risen above the 58.5 GD limit at Lama 
prescribed in the plan. 
 
---------------------- 
Estimated Impacts 
---------------------- 
¶8. The flooding has sparked media discussion of food 
security in light of the loss of land under cultivation. The 
price of some produce at local markets has doubled, as the 
many of flooded areas are prime agricultural locations. The 
floods have elevated food prices as well. The price of food 
as measured in the Urban Georgetown Consumer Price Index 
rose 7.8% year on year at the end of December 2005. The 
current round of flooding has raised prices for several 
produce. Potatoes, which sold for GD55/pound (USD 0.27) in 
September 2005 were selling for GD90/pound (USD 0.45) in 
late January, an increase of 64%. The price of eddoes, a 
common substitute, has risen one-third, from GD45/pound to 
GD60/pound. Reports on the impact on rice production are 
mixed, with the Guyana Rice Producers Organization saying 
28,000 acres have been inundated while the Guyana Rice 
Development Board places the figure at 12,000 acres. 
General Singh estimates that 60,000 cattle risk dying. 
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) has estimated a 
potential loss of USD 6 million as a result of a delay in 
the beginning of the grinding season due to the weather. 
 
¶9. The GOG has been distributing cash crop farmers in Region 
5 an assistance package of GD100,000 (USD 498) each. The GOG 
stepped back from plan to distribute an additional 5,000 
flood relief checks by the first week of February after 
being overwhelmed by requests. President Jagdeo issued a 
statement urging flood affected people to apply for only one 
check per household. 
 
¶10. An assessment of the leptospirosis situation is being 
reported septel. 
 
BULLEN