By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: If the Suriname government fails to take precautionary steps a vast mud bank within 20 years will block the mouth of the country’s most important river, the Suriname River, a coastal zone expert here has warned.

According to Professor Pieter Augustinus, a gigantic mud bank measuring at least 70 km by 50 km on the coast of the Commewijne district is moving west at a speed of 1.5 km per year. Currently the bank is still some 30 kilometers away from the river, said the professor in Physical Geography at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands, during a lecture here in Paramaribo.

Professor Augustinus has been studying the Surinamese coast line for over 40 years and received a PhD for the thesis ‘The Changing Shoreline of Suriname’.

According to the expert, shipping in the Suriname River and drainage of the capital Paramaribo could face serious problems in the future if the situation is not addressed properly. Suriname’s main port is located at the Suriname River and is the principal facility for imports and exports.

Professor Augustinus disclosed that the mud is coming from the Amazon River and transported by the sea current as far as the coast of Venezuela. The north-east trade winds are playing a major role in the shifting and dimension of the mud banks he further noted.

“We have to take this matter very seriously,” the professor warned.

Augustinus claims that, with the construction of the Afobakka hydro dam during the ’60s, the Suriname River lost most of its propulsive force, hence the river has less power to keep its mouth clean. The professor advised the authorities to look into this matter very seriously and take precautionary measures, instead of waiting to see what will happen over 20 years.

Dredging the river has been suggested to avoid the imminent blocking. Currently, the bauxite multinationals Alcoa/Suralco and BHP-Billiton are performing a study to draft an action plan to dredge the river. Both companies are using this river for bauxite and alumina exports.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jerry Slijngaard, coordinator of the National Coordination Centre for Disaster Management (NCCR) warned that, if Augustinus’ predictions become reality, this would have an enormous impact on the country’s economy.

“This is a problem we have to deal with. Fortunately it won’t happen tomorrow, but we have to find a solution early,” said Slijngaard.

Meanwhile, recent studies of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have indicated that, in contrast with a report from1990 claiming that sea levels in Suriname would rise by 67 centimeters over a period of 100 years, sea levels will only rise 39 centimeters.

But, according to Professor Augustinus, this figure will drop to 30 centimeters since the coast will grow by about 30 centimeters. However Suriname should invent policies to protect the mangrove forests, which are protecting the coastline and contributing to the growth.