Environment

Dr. Kenrick Williams, the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, has been appointed to the Adaptation Fund Board representing the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC).

For three days from Monday, March 6th, 50 island heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians participated in a refresher training organized by the Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians (ARACT). The three-day workshop was held in the Sunbreeze Hotel conference room. The technicians participating were tested, introduced to upgraded equipment and new refrigerants, and informed of the consequences if caught working without a license.

Sargassum seaweed influxes have been a bane to the Caribbean since 2011, but the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and Plant & Food Research (PFR), a New Zealand government-owned Crown Research Institute, are advancing a regional project aimed at turning Sargassum into innovative products that will create jobs and income as well as contribute to building the region’s climate resilience and mitigating the negative impacts of Sargassum in the region. During 2023, the CRFM and Plant & Food Research —in partnership with other public and private sector institutions in the Caribbean region—will focus on lab-scale work and field trials to develop suitable prototype products from the Sargassum seaweed for commercial use.

With the change in weather and the windy days associated with this time of the year, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and other parts of the country are beginning to experience the constant influx of Sargassum seaweed. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has started working with experts to find ways to keep the downtown beaches free of the brown seaweed. A temporary Sargassum barrier has been installed between the Mayan Princess Hotel beach and the municipal dock near Central Park. This mechanism is to facilitate the removal of Sargassum.

On February 10, 2023, the Ministry of Economic Development launched Belize’s first-ever Green Climate Fund Country Programme at the Umaya Resort in Placencia. This country programme highlights Belize’s climate priorities and outlines a portfolio of projects and programs that will aid the country in achieving climate resilience.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management is hosting the Joint Annual Meeting of the Initiative 20x20, Bonn Challenge, and the Agriculture, Forest, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) 2040 in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, from February 8 to 9, 2023.

The return of sargassum to the shores of Ambergris Caye is once again a challenge. One of the reasons speculated for the increase is the windier days. According to the National Meteorological Service of Belize, moderate easterly airflow exists, blowing the seaweed to shore. Recent studies by the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Laboratory show that the overall sargassum quantity in the Atlantic Ocean doubled from December to January (8.7 million tons), again setting a record previously observed in January, noting 6.5 million tons in 2018.

The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is embarking on a recycling project to rid the town of plastic bottles. The project is being led by Councilor Johnnia Duarte, whose portfolio includes Environment and Climate Change, and will see bottle-collecting stations in the shape of sea creatures. The first of these, a sea star, is at the central park, where everyone is encouraged to drop their plastic bottles in it.