$168M Cullen Sea Defence Project brings long-term protection for Region Two residents

Sea defence work at Cullen

The $168 million sea defence project at Cullen has surpassed the 50 per cent completion mark, officials said on Friday, as the government continues to invest in protecting vulnerable coastal communities.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Madanlall Ramraj, visited the site where an additional 200 metres of rip-rap protection is being constructed.
“Sea defence isn’t just about preventing water,” Minister Ramraj said. “It is about protecting people and bringing immediate relief to their worries. This government is acting before disaster strikes, not after,” a release quoted him as saying.
Ramraj said the Cullen intervention reflects the government’s broader commitment to safeguarding coastal communities through timely and strategic investment, noting that sea defence remains a critical pillar of the administration’s infrastructure and climate resilience agenda.
He was accompanied by Regional Chairman Devin Mohan, Chief Sea and River Defence Officer Kevin Samad, other officials, and Regional Engineers from the Ministry of Public Works.
Chief Sea and River Defence Officer Samad said the foreshore at Cullen had been closely monitored over the past several years as natural barriers eroded.
“We’re here at Cullen, Essequibo, where for the last five years we have been keenly monitoring this foreshore,” Samad said. “Historically, this area was protected by a natural sea defence, a sand dune mixed with vegetation, but erosion started and we were progressively losing the beach over the past five to six years,” he added.
To counter the threat, the Ministry has implemented a phased programme of man-made rip-rap protection. Approximately 750 metres of sea defence has already been completed over the past five years. The current phase adds 200 metres, bringing the total to nearly one kilometre of reinforced coastal protection.
“There is no imminent threat here. We are confident that there will be no breach or flooding scenario. We are being proactive and carrying out the work in a progressive manner,” Samad said, assuring residents that erosion is occurring gradually.
The project, being executed by a local contractor, has continued despite rainy season challenges and is expected to be completed by mid-February. The Ministry plans to extend protection towards Perseverance over the next two to three years.
Regional Chairman Mohan praised the initiative as a sign of tangible development under the PPP/C Administration.
“Under this government we have seen massive infrastructure development, and this sea defence is a testament to that,” Mohan said. “This work will protect the dam, safeguard residents from flooding, and bring real transformation to this community. As Regional Chairman, I am extremely elated at the intervention by Minister Ramraj and the Ministry of Public Works.”
The Cullen project is part of the government’s wider strategy to strengthen coastal defences, protect vulnerable communities, and build climate-resilient infrastructure.