The World Bank has approved a $156m loan for the rehabilitation of Guyana’s roads to protect them against flooding and storms.

Over 60% of the country’s road network consists of smaller roads, many of which sit on low-lying coastal plains that are vulnerable to rising sea levels, high rainfall and storms.

Funding will be spent on improving infrastructure such as drainage, slope stabilisation, dedicated pedestrian and cycling lanes, crash barriers and raising embankments to prevent erosion.

The Integrated Transport Corridors Project aims to improve links to education and healthcare and also improve the economy and reduce isolation.

In 2021, flooding caused $100m in damage to Guyana’s agriculture and transport sectors.

Guyana’s road mortality rate is currently 15 deaths per 100,000, compared to India’s rate of 14 (in 2021) and Italy’s 5, according to the World Health Organisation.

Diletta Doretti, Guyana’s representative at the World Bank Group, said: “Guyana’s rapid economic expansion places increasing pressure on infrastructure, while the growing risks from natural hazards, such as flooding and storms, further challenge the country’s systems.

“This project will help Guyana’s road network keep pace with its growth by making it safer and more resilient.”

Dr. Ashni Singh, Guyana’s minister of finance, said: “This project has the potential to help unlock increased production and productivity in our non-oil economy, such as through farm to market roads which facilitate both production and trade, as well as to improve connectivity between communities.”

The project is financed through the World Bank’s International Development Association, which is dedicated to low-income countries.