‘Lands on the coast all used up’ – Gov’t using census to inform land planning

President Dr. Irfaan Ali says that lands along the low coastal plain, where a majority of Guyana’s population dwells, have been used up.

With a possibly expanding population and significant development of the country’s productive sectors, the government hopes to expand into other areas and hopes that the upcoming census will help to guide land planning efforts.

The President said this while speaking at the official launch of the upcoming national population and housing census on Wednesday.

“We always speak as if we have unlimited land, but because of how the population is structured along the coast, we are exhausting all of the lands we have already.

“We are already in the wetlands, we have maximised the limits of where we can go and we still have to ensure that agriculture is taken care of,” he explained.

Already, though, he noted that the government has been catering for the country’s growth and expansion. One significant example of this is the ongoing establishment of Silica City- Guyana’s second city.

Since 2013, the establishment of Silica City has been floated by President Ali, who was the Minister of Housing then. It was highlighted that this city could be located near the Linden/Soesdyke Highway in Guyana’s hilly, sand and clay region.

With works ongoing, this city could be established in years. It promises to become Guyana’s first smart urban centre.

And President Ali explained that with the upcoming census, which will commence on September 15, the government will be able to refine its land planning considerations and initiatives.

Every 10 years, Guyana engages in a national population and housing census exercise to collect valuable data on how the country and its people have developed, and in a broader sense, President Ali explained the upcoming census will inform the country’s development plans.