December 12 ,2020
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the United Kingdom government and the Guyana government have partnered to fund a US$190 million project for upgrading of 121 kilometres of road from Linden to Mabura Hill.
The CDB yesterday said the US$112 loan it has approved for the project represents the largest project that the regional bank has financed in its 50 years of existence. The UK is providing a US$66 million grant and the Guyana government will provide US$12 million.
Guyana’s Finance Ministry said last evening that the road is expected to be upgraded from a fair-weather road to an all-weather asphalt concrete one and would include new drainage infrastructure with enhanced capacity to mitigate the effects of flooding.
In a statement yesterday, the CDB said the project is expected to improve connectivity between Guyana’s hinterland and the coastal and is the first phase of a wider plan to develop a transportation corridor from Georgetown, to Lethem on the southwest border, thereby connecting the port in Georgetown with northern Brazil.
“The upgrading of this portion of the largely unpaved road from Linden to Mabura Hill is more than an infrastructure project. It will include social safeguards that will ensure residents benefit from the road development; and environmental protections, to preserve the ecosystem. The project will also include activities to mitigate risks associated with increased development, which will build social resilience in the communities along the corridor and preserve the rights of vulnerable groups,” the CDB’s acting Vice-President (Operations) Diana Wilson Patrick was quoted as saying.
“The UK’s support to the Linden to Mabura Hill Road Project demonstrates our strong commitment to Guyana – a key partner for the UK. This transformative project will be critical for the development of Guyana’s north-south connection. It will contribute significantly to economic development and social inclusion, while being climate resilient,” acting British High Commissioner to Guyana Ray Davidson added.
The statement noted that the unpaved 450-kilometre road from Linden to Lethem is often impassable in the rainy season due to flooding along low-lying sections. It is anticipated that the upgraded road corridor will provide year-round connectivity between Linden and Mabura Hill, improving conditions for local and long-haul transport which can increase trade between Guyana and Brazil.
In addition, the statement added that residents in the remote communities along the Linden to Mabura Hill corridor will see immediate benefits from improved access to basic essential services and an expansion in economic activity. The project is also expected to bolster ecotourism along the corridor by improving access to several nature reserves, such as the Iwokrama Rain Forest.
It will also provide direct employment for both the short term and long term in a region characterised by high unemployment, the statement further said, while adding that it will also advance sustainable livelihoods of small and medium enterprises by facilitating access to financing, markets, and capacity-building
services for residents in the project area, including indigenous people.
Additionally, the bank said capacity-building sessions are planned to promote improved social resilience of communities. “This will help to mitigate risks that could result from increased construction activity and heightened development of the area. The sessions will increase awareness about critical social issues such as gender equality, the rights of indigenous peoples, and the welfare of people with disabilities, children, youth, and the elderly. The project will also include an essential road safety component to protect users and communities along the route,” it added.