Experts: Bz. natural resources intact, but for how long?

Increases in agricultural development and the expansion of settlements are just two factors that have impacted the country’s forest reserves, yet experts maintain that Belize continues to be a shining example to the region for having much of its natural resources still intact. In 1998, Belize became signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification with the aim of promoting sustainable land use. Today, that body met in Belize to raise national awareness on the topics of Land Degradation and Drought. Following the official opening, Chief Forest Officer Osmany Salas, told News 5 that although Belize has a good record in conserving our natural resources, we should never become complacent.

Osmany Salas, Chief Forest Officer

?In Belize, we were almost hit by Mitch, one of the largest hurricanes in a while and I don?t think we lost any human lives. And I think and the other storms and hurricanes that passed through and that has a lot to do with the forest cover we still have but that are under pressure right now. So if we don?t take the right steps now we can lose in a more increasing manner, the forest cover that we have right now. We?ve made a lot of steps in the right direction which I need to point out which are the positive things. We have a fairly extensive protected areas system for instance. Our government is conservation conscious, our past and present governments by the declaration of national parks, protected areas, but more can be done in terms of improving management and there are various organizations like PACT for instance that would support along those lines. Now our forest reserves that I think forms the core of protected areas systems and could benefit our economy tremendously through the multiple uses we can have in those reserves are under pressure as I will indicate in my presentation later on this morning are under pressure as a result of increase in agricultural development and the expansion of settlements for instance and granted these have to occur as was pointed out earlier today or this morning what Belize needs is n integrated land use management plan or land use framework or policy to guide us in the right direction. So this seminar today is the first step we are taking to eventually come up. By the end of December 2005 we have to come up with what is called a ?National Action Programme? under the UNCCD that will point out; that will list and elaborate the various programmes we need to be involved in to combat this issue of land degradation.?

The seminar organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forest Department will discuss several areas including forest and vegetation cover, surface mining, water resources, drought and their relation to land degradation. Present at the seminar is Dr. Richard Cox, the programme officer for Latin America and the Caribbean in the UNCCD Secretariat.