Gov’t, I.D.B. Shake Hands on Loan for Climate Change Project

On Monday, the Government of Belize and the Inter-American Development Bank signed a ten million U.S. dollar loan contract. The monies will be used to reduce Belize’s vulnerability to climate change. With that, we can expect to see a number of resiliency measures implemented. The first will seek to reduce climate change risk in the tourism sector; this will include studies and investments to reduce floods in the Orange Street area of Belize City. The contract is also for works for a pumping station and the installation of floodgates in canals to control water flow as well as coastal erosion in Palapa Gardens beach on Caye Caulker and to reduce the impacts of intense tourism activities on the surrounding coral reef and sea grasses of Goff’s Caye.  The second component looks at disaster risk management governance and climate change adaptation. The project will focus on information sharing among key players, funding research efforts, and acquiring software to develop and publicize a web platform expected to become the cornerstone for a National Climate Risk Information System. 

Cassandra Rogers

Cassandra Rogers, Country Rep, IDB

“This investment came out of the Hurricane Earl in August of 2016 and the Bank is very pleased to continue to support the government of Belize in the area of Climate resilience. In the context of this particular operation, we are continuing the work that we completed under the Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Program in Belize City, where we saw that as a result of the investments flood levels in Belize City were reduced during hurricane Earl. However, the studies that were conducted under that program showed that there is additional work to be done, part of it which will be completed under this program.”

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“While all IDB projects in Belize are excellent projects, this one is, I think, particularly relevant, particularly useful, particularly valuable and particularly timely. So, let me repeat that it gives me great pleasure to be able to sign the documents with you today and to place on record the continuing gratitude of the government of Belize to the IDB; our continuing appreciation of the excellent cooperation between us of the tremendous support that we get from the bank.”