U.K. Hydrographic Office Delivers Belize Ocean Mapping Data

For Developing States like Belize, the collection of hydrographic data is important to support sustainable economic growth, protection of the environment and mitigating the impacts of climate change. On April twenty ninth, the U.K. Hydrographic Office officially handed over seabed mapping data to the Government of Belize. The data will support safe maritime trade and the development of a sustainable blue economy. Activities such as shipping and monitoring delicate vulnerable marine environments heavily depend on understanding the shape and movement of natural underwater features. The seabed mapping data offers this type of information to the government. The U.K. Hydrographic Office managed the collection of the data across Belize’s southern waters and offshore reef’s in early 2022, covering an area of seven thousand two hundred square kilo-meters. A workshop was conducted with key stakeholders on the data collected and its use across government.