The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has officially handed over marine geospatial data to the Guyanese Government after a campaign of hydrographic surveying.
Delegates from the UKHO presented the data to government officials at a special event to celebrate the completion of the survey.
Two workshops were held to brief ministers and provide technical support for applications of the data, which will help Guyana support the development of its marine economy.
The data, which was collected over a period of four months between 2016 and 2017, will initially be used to update nautical charts of the Demerara River. This will enable ships to confidently reduce under-keel clearance and maximise cargo-carrying capacity, paving the way for increased import and export activity.
Simultaneously, the UKHO will present Guyana with other key data sets – such as information about the composition of the seabed – which can be used to support disaster management and support maritime infrastructure, such as the development of ports. Actions like these can help Guyana to protect its marine environment and sustainably harness economic resources to support the country’s marine economy.
The surveying work and subsequent data handover forms the latest effort undertaken under the Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme, delivered on behalf of the UK government by the UKHO, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).
Following the data handover, UKHO will continue to offer technical support and training, and will provide a complete suite of hydrographic surveying equipment which will enable Guyana to undertake systematic surveys of its own waters and eventually produce its own charts.