This article needs to be updated.(March 2018) |
Guyana: Water and Sanitation | ||
---|---|---|
Data | ||
Water coverage (broad definition) | 83% | |
Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 70% | |
Continuity of supply (%) | Mostly intermittent | |
Average water use (liter/capita/day) | 243[1] | |
Average urban water tariff | 0.32 US$/m3 | |
Share of household metering | 24% | |
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | n/a | |
Investment financing | Mainly from external sources | |
Institutions | ||
Decentralization to municipalities | No | |
National water and sanitation company | Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) | |
Water and sanitation regulator | Public Utilities Commission (PUC) | |
Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of Housing and Water | |
Sector law | None | |
Number of urban service providers | 1 | |
Number of rural service providers | n/a |
Guyana, meaning "land of many waters", is rich in water resources. Most of the population is concentrated in the coastal plain, much of which is below sea level and is protected by a series of sea walls. A series of shallow reservoirs inland of the coastal plain, called "water conservancies", store surface water primarily for irrigation needs.[2] Key issues in the water and sanitation sector in Guyana are poor service quality, a low level of cost recovery and low levels of access.