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The Ministry of Agriculture’s Climate Unit has said that changes in rainfall patterns, evaporation rates and temperature in Guyana will have direct implications on the mining industry.Information out of the Climate Unit states that not much has been documented on the effects of climate change in the mining sector in Guyana.However, it can be inferred that changes in rainfall patterns and other factors brought on by climate change will have implications for the industry.According to the Ministry,Cheap France Soccer Jerseys, mining activities are generally carried out in the inland areas of Guyana away from the Coast, which is highly prone to flooding.The Climate Unit contends that sea-level is not seen as a direct threat to the mining sector; however,Cheap Villanova Wildcats Jerseys, many indirect impacts may be felt.Guyana’s National Climate Change Adaptation Policy and Implementation Strategy for Coastal and Low-lying Areas (April 2002) offers a limited description of the influence of climate change on the mining sector.However, emphasis is placed on the exacerbation of the effects of mining on the environment. Environmental degradation that accrues due to inland mining (gold and diamond) is extensive.These include sedimentation which compromises hydrological and ecosystem functions, altered river flow regimes leading to river navigation problems,Joe McKnight College Jersey, water degradation resulting in the degradation of water quality for communities downstream,Kris Jenkins College Jersey, and loss of biodiversity.The Ministry has also said that climate change will intensify these problems with the expected changes in rainfall regime, temperature rise, and evaporation increase.The physical changes on the land due to clearing will be subject to increased erosion in the intense rainfall that is predicted leading to increased sediment loading of rivers.Many rivers that have been mined will suffer from altered flow due to the shift in the channels, making navigation difficult, and outflow to downstream reaches could be reduced.In addition,Marcus Allen College Jersey, these impacts may be exacerbated in Guyana since mining, even though mostly done on a small to medium scale,Brian Cushing USC Jersey, is usually done along the riverbanks. When done on land, it usually involves clear-cutting.An indirect effect of climate change on mining is the fact that extreme weather patterns can affect the extent to which miners perform activities and commute to mining areas. Temporary mining camps could also be affected by weather.Forests are seen as a critical component in global climate change mitigation and a lot of emphasis has been placed on protecting forests. This may affect the level to which areas can be cleared for mining.Information reaching Kaieteur News state that clear links have not yet been established between climate change and human health.“Probably modest effects on human health, however, could occur through climate-related chronic, contagious, allergic,Kevin Love UCLA Jersey, and vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.Most mining occurs in areas where a high level of vector-borne diseases is prevalent. Climate change could exacerbate the prevalence of such diseases,” the Ministry said.Climate change is also expected to accelerate the hydrological cycle. It is expected to exacerbate issues related to sedimentation which compromises hydrological and ecosystem functions and alter river flow regimes. These can affect mining activities.Some recommendations outlined are enforcing conditions of mining licence approved for large and medium scale miners, especially in the areas of ecological, environmental, and health management.Secondly, developing and promoting national operating guidelines and procedures at the management unit level and developing and promoting criteria and indicators as performance standards for evaluating and assessing mining operations.Moreover,O.J. Simpson College Jersey, in-house training and education programmes to equip mining officers to conduct environmental and water quality tests and the enforcement of mining and environmental laws can be promoted as well as developing vulnerability studies on mining and climate change in Guyana.Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, in an invited comment on this topic said, “In the national context, we continue to examine the possible impact of climate change on all sectors as there is a multi-disciplinary approach.”In January 2005,Ryan Arcidiacono Villanova Jersey, an unusual weather system produced heavy rains leading to the worst flooding event ever recorded in Guyana’s history. Mining in Guyana is done on large, medium and small scales. (Nadia Guyadeen) |
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