On Thursday, the 30th June 2022, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management (MSDCCDRM) hosted its first “Climate Change Catalogue Showcase”, which, as the name suggests, provides the opportunity for observer constituencies, interested Parties and the Ministry to showcase existing work programmes and progress made towards the “building of a more resilient Belize”. This is a two-day event, consisting of the launching of several national climate change policies, strategies, plans, and systems and field tours for project donors. On the first day of the event, the MSDCCDRM launched the National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Master Plan, Updated Nationally Determined Contribution, National Climate MRV System, Low Emissions Development Strategy and Action Plan for Belize, Climate Change Finance Strategy, and Climate Change Gender Action Plan.
Within his keynote address at the showcase launch event, Minister with responsibility for Climate change, Hon. Orlando Habet, underscored the importance of collaborative action from policymakers, government actors, civil society and the private sector in seeking solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change, facilitate adaptation to unavoidable impacts and to promote climate resilience to future risks. This has necessitated the design and implementation of national policies, strategies and plans which aim to facilitate low carbon development and consider adaptation measures in order to enhance economic sustainability and strengthen national development initiatives.
In his address, UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative to Belize, Mr. Ian King, highlighted the application of incremental reasoning and partnership actions in the financing of climate action and the need to ensure that no one is indeed left behind as the country advances on its sustainable development journey. Also speaking at today’s showcase were The British High Commissioner to Belize, HE Claire Evans; Canada’s Head of Cooperation, Leonardo Iannone; Dr. Henning Wuester, Director of the Initiative of Climate Action Transparency, and Dr. Kenrick Williams, CEO in the MSDCCDRM.
Included in the climate change showcase are interventions implemented within the framework of UNDP’s Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER) Project. A project funded by the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom. The EnGenDER Project seeks to ensure equal access to climate change adaptation solutions for women, children, and other vulnerable groups in the Caribbean.
The EnGenDER Belize Country Programme directly responds to national priorities of resilience and sustainability as articulated in the Government’s Plan Belize manifesto, and since elaborated within the country’s medium and long-term development vision for the creation of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable Belize. EnGenDER’s 2022 work programme supports the climate proofing of rural agricultural livelihoods, the connectivity of indigenous peoples to microgrid networks within the context of “Energy for Development”, the provision of remote community access to safe, potable water and through the Offer of Complementary Funding (OCF), EnGenDER is helping Belize to leverage additional climate financing from international organisations like the Green Climate Fund in order to address issues of shoreline erosion and instability in coastal communities including Hopkins, Dangriga, Monkey River and Barranco.
As Belize continues to recover from the precipitated economic and social effects of the COVID-19 crisis, and understands that the global climate change crisis remains, it is important that Belize invests in climate action which secures recovery investments and sustains a people-centric and green recovery process.
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