CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL

DEPARTMENT

BFW 40303 COASTAL AND HARBOUR ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT

NAME : NORAZREEN BINTI NOR AZHAR

[CF140129]

SECTION :1

LECTURER : PROF. MADYA DR MOHD ADIB BIN

MOHAMMAD RAZI

SUBMISSION DATE : 17 APRIL 2017

MANGROVE FOREST IN GUYANAS, FRENCH

Where is Guyana ?

Located in the continent of South America, Guyana covers 196,849 square kilometers of land
and 18,120 square kilometers of water, making it the 85 th largest nation in the world with a
total area of 214,969 square kilometers.

Guyana became an independent state in 1966, after gaining its sovereignty from Spain. The
population of Guyana is 741,908 (2012) and the nation has a density of 4 people per square
kilometre. The currency of Guyana is the Guyana Dollar (GYD). As well, the people of
Guyana are refer to as Guyanese.

Figure 1 : Location of Guyana on maps

The mangrove forests in the Guyanas (French Guiana, Surinam and Guyana), which spread
across the Orinoco and Amazon deltas, are among the most extensive in the world. This
particular ecosystem, between the earth and the sea, plays a major role in protecting the
particularly unstable muddy coastline against erosion. However, most of the Guyana
mangroves have been destroyed to develop the coastal plain. The retreating mangrove wall
will result in large-scale coastal erosion, threatening populations and their economic
activities, as demonstrated in a study conducted by researchers from IRD and the University
of Aix-Marseille.
Gaining Ground On The Sea

Although the French Guiana coastline remains protected by human developments for the time
being, that of Guyana is already highly disrupted. The entire coastal strip is now inhabited. In
order to conquer this space and subsequently develop the aquaculture and agriculture mainly
rice cultivation the coastal swamp areas have been transformed into polders. To this end,
dikes have been built, reducing the 1km mangrove strip to just a few dozen metres wide.

Less Protective Dikes

More than three quarters of Guyana's 450 km of coastline along the Atlantic are currently
diked up. Coastal stability now depends on these earthen dikes. However, these dikes do not
provide the same level of protection as mangroves against the swell, which is the main cause
of erosion. Moreover, they would not withstand the strength of the waves if the mangroves
were to disappear completely. Yet, they prevent the sedimentation of mud coming from the
Amazon, which enables forest regeneration.

Coastal Stability In Danger

Scientists have identified the main geomorphological processes at work across the entire
Guyana coast. Thus, they could assess the high risk of destabilisation of the coastline due to
the reduction in mangroves. Rocky dikes are currently being built in order to protect
economic activities, such as agriculture. However, such works are prohibitively expensive.
The only means of protection consists of rebuilding the mangroves.

This assessment will enable the Guyana government to specify the measures for action that
should be implemented to help the mangroves recolonise the coastline. French Guiana, of
which the coastal area in turn suffers growing demographic pressure, must also draw lessons
from these works so as not to encounter the same problems as its neighbour in the medium
term.
Mangrove Values And Function

i) Roots help to reduce and prevent coastal erosion.

ii) Act as wave breakers to protect coasts, coastal communities and infrastructure from
onslaught of strong waves and winds.
iii) Good breeding, feeding and nursery areas for many species of terrestrial and aquatic
species.
iv) Provide an excellent habitat for different types of plants and animals.
v) Root systems act as sediment traps and reduce the amount of sediment that enters the
marine environment

Figure 2 : Guyanas Coastal Mangrove Forest

Figure 3 : Changes in Mangrove Coverage in Guyana

Guyana mangrove had applied restoration project to prevent the erosion in mangrove.
There is three restoration interventions that had been done which is :
i) Mangrove Planting
ii) Coastal Engineering Structures
iii) Spartina Grass Planting

(i) (ii) (iii)

Figure 4 : After 3 years restoration