Guyana is flooding

Clip 1: Floods threaten

Introduction film made by ROC (Rights of Children) for CAFOD about the flooding on the East Coast of Guyana
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A dramatic new documentary by two local teenagers estimates that around 90 per cent of the population of Guyana could face floods in the future if current weather patterns continue

Niccollette Boatswain, 19, and Shirvanie Persaud, 18, made their own film to highlight a flooding crisis affecting poor farmers living along the Mahaica River in the north of the country.

Thanks to training from CAFOD partner the Guyana Human Rights Association, the documentary only took five months to make, and the girls edited it themselves when they weren’t studying.

Clip 2: Pavrina and her family

See how the Guyana floods are affecting Pavrina and her family living along the Mahaica river
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They hope it will be broadcast on Guyanan national television to raise awareness of what is happening on the east coast - home to the majority of the population.

Climate change brings rising sea levels, placing low-lying coastal areas in countries such as Guyana under threat.

In 2005 and 2006, extensive flooding destroyed sugar-cane fields, farmland and homes along the country’s east coast. Many farmers lost their cattle in the rising waters, which led to floods in the Mahaica river.

Clip 3: What next?

Guyana floods: What next for families living along the Mahaica river?
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Farmers were faced with a stark choice - stay on the river and face the prospect of flooding or accept the government’s offer of new homes next to land that is too expensive for them to buy.

Instead of forcing them to move, the farmers want the government to provide their land with better drainage.

Niccollette explains: “The Mahaica river floods particularly badly because the government lets the rainwater from the dam into the river when it is filling up so that it doesn’t break.

“People from alongside the river have been moving to the coastal areas, but the coast is vulnerable, too.”

Take action for climate justice

As climate change accelerates, the threat of flooding is only likely to increase. That’s why it is crucial that the world acts now to address the problem.

“For people in the UK, going green still feels like a lifestyle choice. But for people in the developing world, it’s a matter of survival,” says Shirvanie.

Niccollette agrees: “Going green is important. It’s important to live sustainably to help countries like Guyana where people are suffering from floods every year, so that we don’t have to suffer the way we are at the moment.

“You have a voice. It’s your world so you should make a difference. Don’t live for yourself, live for everyone else, for people like us in Guyana. Just a change in your lifestyle could save lives.”