Special Envoy for the Caribbean Countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italian Republic, Ms. Caterina Bertolini, recently conducted a site visit and tour of Bartica in an effort to understand the scope of work which was undertaken under the first phase of the Transitioning to National Energy Security (TNES): Bartica as a model ‘Green’ Town Project through the Office of Climate Change (OCC).
Phase One of the US$650,000 Project, given by way of a grant from the Government of Italy, saw the gathering and compilation of data on energy use to inform evidence-based decision making for the future implementation of projects and programmes. Ambassador Bertolini visited the Three Miles Secondary School where the financing has supported Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Leagues and the set-up of a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System. Also the Four and Five Miles Communities, which have benefited from LED street lighting, and the Mayor and Town Council where the repository for all of the studies and surveys that have been conducted have been set up.
The first phase of the project began in June 2018 and lasted approximately six months and saw the completion of all the energy audits, public awareness exercises and an energy data management centre established.
Agencies in and out of Guyana were contracted to conduct work in five main areas: the Household Socio-Economic and Energy Use Baseline Survey, Audit of Public Facilities, Institutions and Street Lighting, Energy Audit of Transport Sector, Production of Content Manual and Implementation of Public Awareness and Education Campaigns and development of the Bartica website. In addition to the data gathered, coming out of Phase one, a website, Bartica.gov.gy, has been established with the sole purpose of providing information on the town and its development.
As part of the TNES Project, the OCC also handed over two STEM kits to the Bartica and Three Miles Secondary schools in an effort to equip them with technological skills, which can assist in finding solutions to aid the transition of Bartica into the first model ‘green’ town in Guyana and the Caribbean.
The Government of Italy through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (Five C’s) has already approved some US$3.67M for some of the recommendations coming out of the studies and audits to be implemented in Phase Two, particularly in the areas of capacity building, efficient lighting and feasibility studies for electric vehicles.
The Italian Envoy noted that she is pleased to see what has been taking place in the town through the support from her Government.
Mayor of Bartica, Mr. Gifford Marshall, in an invited comment, said that the residents welcomed the visit by the Special Envoy and the support that has been given to the township in its vision of a ‘green’ town.
