Guyana: A Brief Introduction  

Guyana is a country located in the northern part of South America, bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname, with a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Its population of over 800,000 (2023)1 people is about 73% rural.2 The country experiences a tropical climate, with hot, humid weather year-round, and highly variable rainfall between seasons. Approximately 85% of Guyana's landscape is covered by dense rainforests,3 with significant portions of the country lying below sea level along the coast, protected by an intricate system of seawalls and drainage canals. Despite significant investments in public infrastructure,4 Guyana has a high poverty rate, among the highest in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region at approximately 48%, with its Indigenous populations disproportionately affected.5  The economy of Guyana is largely extractive, with its prominent sectors of agriculture, mining, and forestry, with recent significant growth in the oil sector following major offshore oil discoveries, with oil exports forecast to be responsible for 90% of its GDP by the end of this decade.6 Once among the lowest in South America, Guyana's GDP per capita grew from US$6,477 in 2019 to over US$18,199 in 2022, driven by extraordinary economic growth averaging 42.3 percent annually since 2020.7 This economic boom, while promising, directly contributes to the country’s vulnerability to climate change, endangering its essential coastal and agricultural regions that sustain the vast majority of the Guyanese people. It starkly illustrates the profound conflict between the immediate allure of the oil economy and the long-term impacts of the climate crisis.

Mapping Major Climate Events and Climate-Induced Displacement 

As measured by the ND-GAIN Index, Guyana faces an urgent need for both immediate action and significant improvements in its readiness, ranking 83rd in terms of vulnerability and 131st in terms of preparedness.8 The low-lying coastal regions, where the majority of the population resides, are especially vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges, and flooding, with rates of sea level rise in Guyana exceeding 10 mm per year, as compared to the global average of 2 to 4 mm per year.9 Its rising sea levels, among the highest globally, put 90% of Guyana’s population at risk,10 alongside 100 percent of the country's coastal agricultural lands and 66.4 percent of its coastal urban areas vulnerable to flooding and erosion.11 Over recent decades, Guyana has experienced increasing frequency and severity of climate disasters, particularly during the wet season. The 2005 flooding event, for instance, was a significant climate disaster that caused widespread displacement, impacting over 290,000 people, approximately 39% of Guyana’s population, and killing 6 people, making it the largest disaster to strike the country in the past century.12 Thousands were forced to evacuate their homes, with nearly 5,000 individuals requiring long-term shelter, and approximately 40% of Guyana's population losing some or all of their possessions.13  More recent floods in 2021 also led to displacement and highlighted the ongoing challenges the country faces in managing climate impacts, affecting over 52,000 households.14

Mapping the Costs of the Climate Crisis  

The political economy of Guyana has been significantly influenced by the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, leading to rapid economic growth and an influx of foreign investment. However, this newfound wealth contrasts with the vulnerabilities posed by an increasingly extractive economy in the midst of a severe climate crisis, particularly for the coastal and agricultural regions.15 In January 2005, severe rainfall led to catastrophic flooding along Guyana's coasts. The total damage was estimated at $465 million, nearly 60 percent of the country’s GDP.  In January 2006, severe flooding occurred once again and resulted in $30 million in damages.9 The indirect costs of Guyana’s frequent floods and rainfall are also significant. Agriculture plays a crucial role in the Guyananese economy, contributing approximately 31.9% to the non-oil GDP, employing around 17% of the labor force, and generating nearly 21.3% of the country's non-oil export earnings in 2020.16 However, frequent flooding poses a significant threat to these agricultural livelihoods, jeopardizing crops and income for many and increasing the risk of food insecurity, a threat that has already been reflected in Guyana’s dwindling cereal yields,17 making vulnerable some of the nation's most essential foods.18

Mapping Resilience and Mitigation Pathways  

Guyana has committed to various international climate agreements and is in fact the second country globally and the first Small Island Developing State (SIDS) to submit its Biennial Update Report (BUR) under the enhanced transparency framework of the Paris Agreement, well ahead of the December 2024 deadline.19  The Guyanese government has emphasized its focus on sustainable forest management as key components of its climate action, asserting that, unlike the vast majority of the globe, Guyana has already achieved net-zero carbon emissions, a feat made possible despite its high crude oil extraction due to the fact that the majority of its landmass is covered by forests. Additionally, the government plans to further reduce emissions by 70% by 2030.20  
The Guyanese government is also working to mitigate current challenges by investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, such as the reinforcement of seawalls and improvement of drainage systems to better manage flooding. The new Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Project, in collaboration with the World Bank, will build upon existing initiatives to repair or replace over 45 drainage infrastructure assets.21 In 2021, Guyana joined a growing list of Caribbean nations utilizing the Pacific Disaster Center’s technology to combat climate-driven natural disasters. By adopting PDC’s DisasterAWARE platform, Guyanese government will be better equipped to predict the severity of oncoming climate disasters and more appropriately track and distribute resources.22

Necessary Changes  

Guyana's climate action has primarily focused on mitigation through the development of climate-resilient infrastructure and safeguarding its vast forests, which serve as critical carbon sinks for the South American and Caribbean regions. However, these efforts contrast sharply with the country's continued expansion of oil production, driven by ExxonMobil's control over its offshore reserves,23 illustrating the tension between Guyana's commitment to environmental stewardship and the influence of the oil industry on its economic future. ExxonMobil has become deeply entrenched in Guyana's political and economic landscape, turning Guyana’s shores into a region ripe with environmental degradation, inadequate regulation, and the undermining of democratic processes.24 Growing concerns over opposition25 to the oil industry’s ever-expanding influence has led to the intimidation of journalists26 and an overall decline in press freedom, with Guyana's ranking in the Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index dropping by 26 places between 2022 and 2023.27 Alongside such conflicts are growing territorial disputes between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo region, nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s land mass.28 This region is rich in natural resources, and holds the world’s largest reserves of crude oil per capita, which both countries aim to claim and exploit, as opposed to collectively preserve.29 With climate disasters already threatening Guyana's shores, the nation must urgently reevaluate its relationship with oil extraction and the corporations at its helm. Strengthening regulatory oversight, protecting human rights and press freedoms, and promoting peace in disputed regions—rather than militarizing30 lands that require protection—are essential steps. Furthermore, partnering with Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting the leadership and existing environmental activism of Indigenous women in Guyana,31 provides a crucial pathway to safeguarding ancestral territories that are essential for local resilience and the lasting climate resilience Guyana needs.