With so much rain during the last month, there has been no shortage of flood stories. The latest comes from Ladyville. Robert Lightburn, Area Resident ?We are concern because we could see the water backing up in some areas where water never stayed before. So we are concern about what is happening, and we would […]
Following reports this week that the recent rains across the country have resulted in the reservoir at Chalillo being filled to capacity, the company has released a photograph of the scene. As the picture shows, the level of the water has risen to the point that the dam is overflowing and running down the spillway. […]
The project has been on the table for well over a decade and on July eighteenth the public will get to voice its opinion on the proposed dam on the Macal River at Vaca Falls. The hearing, part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, is hosted by the Department of Environment and involves the presentation […]
Today residents of Punta Gorda Town hit the coast for a massive clean-up campaign after a large amount of debris accumulated near the Joe Taylor Bridge. According to officials from the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, more than a mile of shore is covered with a number of logs, plastic bottles and bags, styrofoam, […]
The weather: it’s a subject that everybody talks about but nobody can even hope to influence. It does influence us though as the almost week of stormy weather nationwide is bringing outdoor work to a halt, driving tourists crazy and wreaking havoc on roads, large and small. Having driven to work this morning from Ladyville, […]
Depending on where you live, the rain has been coming down for the last four or five days. That may not be so unusual for late June … but with the ground saturated from Hondo to Sarstoon, there’s only one place for more water to go: that’s up. Ramon Frutos, Weather Forecaster ?If the rains […]
In recent weeks we’ve been following the debate over a large resort development proposed for the top of the Placencia peninsula. One of the major issues in that controversy is the question of beach erosion that could be caused by the construction of a huge marina. And while scientists and laymen may argue over what […]
Reports out of Belmopan tonight are that the Department of the Environment and Belize Natural Energy have struck a compromise following citizen complaints against oil exploration within the city limits. According to a letter to the company from Chief Environmental Officer Martin Alegria, B.N.E. has been granted “environmental clearance … subsequent to the signing on […]
Accusations of playing footsie were not confined to the Venezuela loan as Minister of Natural Resources Johnny Briceño was questioned regarding his government’s policy toward the controversial Ara Macao resort project near Placencia. According to Briceño, the jury is still out. Johnny Briceño, Minister of Natural Resources/Environment ?The NEAC is currently awaiting Ara Macao?s submission […]
Whether you know it as Scarlet Macaw or Ara Macao, it’s hard to miss the fact that the proposal of a massive hotel, marina and golf course in the south has stirred up plenty of controversy. Critics argue that the environmental impacts caused by the project will far outweigh any economic benefits. In response, tonight […]
It’s an initiative that has been launched all over the world … human interaction with marine animals in an enclosed environment. But when the idea took root in Belize, local conservationists expressed concern that captivity would tarnish the country’s image as having abundant wildlife in natural ecosystems. Earlier this week, cameraman George Tillett and I […]
For the past week, most of the country has been underwater, following a daily dose of several inches of rain. Tonight weather experts explain that while the high levels are a surprise, we should use the experience to prepare for what is expected to be one of the wettest rainy seasons in recent memory. Ramon […]
Conservation: it’s an issue on the front burner as Belize celebrates Natural Resources and Environment week. Today the Ministry of Natural Resources held a presentation on the Selva Maya, Zoque, and Olmeca Eco-regional Plan; a multi-national project designed to develop and maintain healthy ecosystems. And while it took three years of transborder collaboration with the […]
It’s an issue that has been simmering in the south for several months: the awarding of a government permit to a U.S. company to conduct seismic testing as part of oil exploration in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. The normally routine move has provoked the ire of a number of local leaders, including those of […]
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 […]
With more than half the country separated into various protected areas, any discussion of development includes potential impact to Belize’s natural resources. That reality is just one item on the agenda of the second annual National Environmental Fair. News Five’s Alyssa Noble has more. Alyssa Noble, Reporting The fair is being held to highlight the […]
Since the official announcement of a petroleum discovery in the Cayo district in June 2005, oil has been the Belizean buzz word. Discourse has flowed throughout society and experts have popped up faster than wells in Spanish Lookout. With the reality in mind that not all the information is grounded in truth, a public meeting […]
Following a public meeting in Punta Gorda on Tuesday night, today community leaders and managers of the protected areas of southern Belize have announced their intention to have “an injunction filed immediately to stop any further petroleum exploration activities in the Sarstoon Temash National Park”. According to a joint press release, representatives of conservation groups […]
Devastating hurricanes were probably the farthest thing from most Belizeans minds as they enjoyed the beautiful weather over the Easter holidays. But in just a few weeks the season will be on us again. However, regional and local preparations are already underway as News Five found out today at the National Emergency Management Organization headquarters […]
Don’t look now but from the glorious days of Easter it’s only a scant six weeks until (whispers) Hurricane season. And while many of us may be fretting, the region’s professional weather forecasters are planning. Kendra Griffith, Reporting Since the year 2000, the Central American meteorologists and hydrologists meet every four months in a different […]
It’s the one time of year when you are likely to find more Belizeans than tourists enjoying the wonders of Belize’s cayes, reefs, and waters that surround them. But when you put on that mask and snorkel this weekend, whether at San Pedro, Placencia, or points in between, what will lie below? In 1995, we […]
Belize’s reputation as a connoisseur of exotic delicacies is well known … with the royal rat story at the top of the list. But tonight News Five takes a look at another popular local dish: the iguana, also known as bamboo chicken. The reptile is plentiful this time of the year, but conservationists worry that […]
It’s a place we’ve visited before?twice actually?and while the hike to Davis Falls may be challenging, our reporters never seem to tire of the magnificent view. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has the latest developments on what may become Belize’s newest national park. Kendra Griffith, Reporting The eight miles to Davis Falls is not what you?d […]
The beginning of what promises to be a long hot dry season seems like a good time to celebrate the joys of a commodity that, fortunately, we in Belize possess in apparent abundance. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods has more. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Water: It?s one of those conveniences that most of us take for granted. […]
We’re at the height of the cruise ship season and Belize City harbour has never been more crowded with vessels both large and small. And that is just one of several reasons why the Belize Port Authority is seeking to make our coastal waters safer for those who use them. News 5’s Kendra Griffith reports. […]
