How do dikes and canals protect Guyana’s coastal farmland?

Guyana’s coastal farmland, located on a narrow sea-level plain, relies on a sophisticated system of water management that reflects historical Dutch and British techniques. To protect this land, large coastal areas are "empoldered," or enclosed by dikes, which serve as barriers to hold back the sea in the front and prevent flooding from rivers in the rear.12

The land is laid out in strips between the sea or rivers and inland swamps, protected on all sides by a network of canals. These canals serve a dual purpose: they provide irrigation for crops like rice and sugarcane when rainfall is insufficient, and they function as a drainage system. Because the coastal region experiences heavy rainfall, drainage is critical; however, gravity drainage is only effective at low tide. Consequently, drainage gates are opened during the ebbing tide and closed when the tide rises. Maintaining this intricate system is challenging due to heavy sediment that can clog outlets, but it remains essential for sustaining agricultural productivity in the region.12