Soldiers look to help environment
With U.S. troops still under fire in Iraq, Afghanistan and Liberia, you’d think that the Pentagon wouldn’t have time to talk about what the military can do to help the environment. But that’s just what a bunch of soldiers from the States and Caribbean basin were discussing today at the Radisson.
Patricia Mendoza, C.E.O, Min. of Natural Resources
“For Belize, the link between environment and defence is a natural one, since Belize’s national security is intimately linked to the health of its environment and natural resources. The backbone of our economy, which is dependent on the use and enjoyment of its natural resources, requires strong mutual cooperation between national security and the natural resource management sector.”
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The idea of having the military and environmentalists teaming up to protect people from environmental disasters, while at the same time promoting sustainable development, is not a new concept. In fact across Central America and the Caribbean, security forces have been using their human resources, communication and transportation capabilities to help environmental and forestry authorities. Belize is no exception.
Brigadier Gen. Cedric Borland, Commandant, B.D.F.
“Our patrols in those remote areas identify illegal logging and we report that matter to the Forestry Department to take legal action. We also have patrols out, identifying the removal of illegal products, for instance the Xaxte leaf cutting, and that’s primarily looking at the Forestry Department. We also work along with the Fisheries Department. Our officers out at sea are enforcing fisheries laws as well. From time to time we would report on pollution that we’ve identify in certain parts of the country. We also look at encroachments that are occurring in conservation or protected areas.”
This week, representatives of the regions environmental ministries and security forces sat down to talk about improving their working relationships. The three-day conference is spearheaded by the United States Southern Command in conjunction with the Government of Belize.
Robert L. Brown, Env. Engineer, U.S. Southern Command
“In these times of where conflicts are few, and the military needs to maintain its capabilities, they can do that by using those capabilities in supporting the environment. Their transportation systems, their communications systems, their manpower, their training and command and control systems that they’ve developed for war fighting can also be directly applied to other uses that are of benefit to the country.”
Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Patricia Mendoza, says forty-two percent of the country’s Protected Areas depend largely on joint patrols between the departments responsible for the protection of our archaeological sites, forest reserves, national parks, nature and marine reserves.
Patricia Mendoza
“Recently, Belize, like many other Central American countries, has been affected by several natural disasters. The management of our affairs during these periods of crisis, would not have been in anyway possible-the adequate management would not have been in anyway possible–were it not for our defence forces.”
The conference is the result of a May 2001 ministerial meeting held in San Jose, Costa Rica. At that meeting it was discussed how the relationship between security forces and environmental ministries can be improved. It is hoped that at the end of this follow up meeting the delegates would have laid the foundation needed to move that initiative forward.
