Natural Resources Summit looks at environmental impacts

Today a cross section of Belizean society gathered at the Radisson in Belize City to discuss best management practices of the country’s natural resources. The deliberations covered traditional industries like citrus as well as new areas such as cruise tourism and the harvesting of xate. The meeting is part of official activities of Natural Resources and Environment Week, but according to Planning Coordinator Marnie Santana, this is not just another workshop.

Marnie Santana, Planning Coordinator, Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment
?We want to have input from the public, when we present this report and we give it to the policy makers so from then we hope that we could get action from there. But the whole summit idea for us it?s a new experience, it?s a learning thing and we?re hoping that it?s the first in a series. I was just discussing with the Minister and we hope that by the end of the year, we could look at the petroleum industry because we know that petroleum is the buzz word and we have a lot of experts and people from the media coming up with their own ideas on what some of the technical things in the petroleum industry is. So we definitely want to work on that for the end of the year.?

?We are at that point actually where we need to sit down and look at where our priorities are because everything comes with a cost. We need to look at what we have, we need to write proposals to get funding form other NGOs and then we can set our priorities and then from there move on but yes, it would encompass all areas of the environment.?

According to Santana, environmental displays and information booths will open to the public at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall through midday Friday.