Guyana Hosts Community Workshop on Marine Litter in Pakuri Village and Georgetown
On 28 February, the Guyana-PROMAR team hosted a Community Workshop bringing together eighteen residents from Pakuri Village (St. Cuthbert's Mission) and Georgetown to address marine litter and improve local waste management practices. Participants engaged in discussions on how everyday waste contributes to river and coastal pollution and its impacts on wetlands, fisheries, and community well being.
Residents from Pakuri Village identified plastics, tin/aluminum, glass bottles, and organic kitchen waste as the main waste streams in their community. These materials are primarily disposed of at a communal dump site, with some waste burned or informally discarded. Key challenges include limited infrastructure, unregulated dumping, and the management of tourism-related waste. Georgetown and coastal participants highlighted a broader range of materials – plastics, glass, Styrofoam, electronics, diapers, construction debris, and household appliances, and raised concerns about inconsistent garbage collection, varying service costs, and litter accumulating in public spaces and drainage systems.
Participants also had the opportunity to discuss and propose concrete solutions. Pakuri Village residents suggested installing additional garbage bins at river landings and along roads, improving dump site management, establishing a community clean-up committee particularly after major events, installing simple trash traps in local waterways, and raising awareness through posters and school program. They also discussed tourism-related waste measures, including potential clean-up fees. These proposals will be presented to the Toshao at the next village meeting to determine actionable next steps. Georgetown and coastal participants focused on practical measures such as promoting proper waste disposal habits, organizing neighborhood clean-ups, reporting illegal dumping, and raising public awareness of the environmental impacts of litter.
The workshop underscored the critical role of community participation in reducing marine litter. By sharing experiences and identifying realistic, locally grounded solutions, residents are taking an active role in protecting Guyana's rivers, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems.
Check the photos bellow:
