Flooding and the right to a healthy environment

Dear Editor,

Recent heavy rainfall has once again turned the daily lives of our citizens into a struggle for survival. In yard-dwelling communities like Albouystown, Charlestown, La Penitence, Ruimveldt, and Tucville, families are wading through murky, contaminated water that has flooded their yards and homes. The persistent waterlogging is not just a nuisance; it is a public health emergency that poses serious risks to the safety and well-being of our people.

This situation compels us to consider a fundamental question: What does the right to life and a healthy environment mean if the state does not maintain the most basic drainage infrastructure?

Guyana’s Constitution explicitly recognises the right of every person to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being. Furthermore, every citizen has the right to proper housing accommodation, and our fundamental rights include the right to life, liberty, and security of the person. When stagnant floodwater filled with waste sits for days in our communities, these constitutional guarantees are undermined. It becomes difficult for a resident to claim the right to security of the person while living in fear of waterborne diseases or potential electrocution from submerged wires.

We must acknowledge, however, that this is a shared responsibility. The indiscriminate dumping of garbage into drains by citizens is a major factor that clogs our drainage systems and exacerbates flooding. As the Attorney General recently noted, “dozens of man-made obstructions” block the flow of water in many canals, requiring all of us to act more responsibly. We cannot only look to the authorities while we ourselves contribute to the problem.

While emergency distributions of cleaning supplies and the activation of pumps have brought some relief, these are not lasting solutions. We respectfully request that the relevant authorities, including the Mayor and City Council, the Ministry of Public Works, and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, prioritise a comprehensive overhaul of drainage in these vulnerable areas. This includes desilting major canals, constructing proper concrete drains in yard dwelling clusters, and strictly enforcing penalties against those who block our waterways. The government has announced a drainage overhaul for Albouystown and must extend similar commitments to all affected communities.

It is not argumentative to state that a citizen living in a flooded yard is not enjoying their full rights as guaranteed by our Constitution. We are not asking for charity; we are asking for the state to fulfil its most basic duty: to protect the lives and property of its people. A nation that prides itself on progress cannot leave its citizens to swim through filth every time it rains.