The Sea and River Defence Act 2024 has been brought into operation, more than two years after Parliament passed legislation intended to modernise flood protection and the management of Guyana’s sea and river defences.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill appointed October 7, 2026, as the commencement date through Order No. 188 of 2026, published in the October 17 Official Gazette. The order was signed on October 7 under section two of the Act.
It states: “I appoint the 7th day of October, 2026 as the date on which the Act shall come into operation.”
The commencement order does not explain the interval between the legislation’s passage and its implementation.
Stabroek News reported on May 18, 2024, that the National Assembly had passed the Sea and River Defence Bill the previous day, following its presentation by Edghill.
The newspaper reported that the legislation consolidated two existing laws and provided for a Sea and River Defence Board with expanded responsibilities for planning, managing and constructing flood defences.
It also provided for flood-protection plans involving public consultation and consideration of technical, social and environmental factors. Authorised officers would undertake inspection, monitoring, assessment and enforcement functions, including issuing waterfront protection notices.
During the debate, then opposition MP Amanza Walton-Desir raised concerns about the definition of sea and river defences, particularly the treatment of natural defences. She called for a comprehensive approach to flood protection and greater attention to resilience and the needs of vulnerable communities.
The law’s implementation comes against the continuing threat of coastal erosion and overtopping of sea and river defences.
In September 2024, Stabroek News reported a Public Works Ministry warning that above-normal tides could cause flooding in coastal and riverain communities, including along vulnerable roads, riverbanks, sluices and outfall channels. The ministry said it had intensified monitoring and flood-prevention activities.
In his 2026 budget speech, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the government was pursuing a combination of engineered defences and mangrove restoration to address coastal degradation and climate-related risks. He reported that, over the preceding five years, more than 35,300 metres of new sea defences had been constructed, over 425,800 metres maintained and more than 6,000 hectares of mangroves developed.
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