Email

Print

Today the Ministry of the Environment held a workshop to discuss a proposal about sustainable development and conservation. A draft was distributed earlier this year, and stakeholders gathered to give their feedback and concerns about the legislature. The DOE and a Spanish firm designed the proposal which makes recommendations on strengthening Belize’s environmental regulations. Chief Environmental Officer, Martin Alegria told us more…

Martin Alegria - Department of Environment
"This is a one day workshop to agree, valid on recommendations being done by consultant out of Spain who started reviewing the environmental screening process in Belize. Basically people know it here as the EIA process. In order to look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities out there in terms of modernising such a procedure in Belize and coming up with the best scenarios, best solutions in order to have environmental management or protection while having sustainable development in Belize. So we started it sometime ago, presented a draft in mid-year, we distributed to all the stakeholders in there today and we advance a little more in depth on some of the issues that were raised and today he is presenting. The company's name is Limia and Martin; they're presenting the major recommendations from various thematic areas, legal, procedural etc. They are going through each and every line item there to see what the feelings or the positions are of all the stakeholders both from private sector, civil society and our government colleagues."

Alex Courtney
"Sir you talk about making that balance between sustainable development and also keeping conservation. What are some strategies that could employ or should be employed in order to keep that?"

Martin Alegria - Department of Environment
"One of them is the environmental screening process or the EIA process is one that has been successfully used in Belize but it's only on pillar. We need to also look at other planning tools like I mentioned environmental audits because of projects already existing before we legislate or such. You also have social planning, include social into the environment and economic planning. We have planning in general but you also have other types of needs that we have to look into in order to balance that economic development perspective."

The feedback and recommendation will be incorporated into the final draft of the proposal.