The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a loan to Belize for 10 million US dollars to help reduce the effects of climate change in Belize City and Caye Caulker.
A press release from the IDB says that the money will be used by the Government for climate resilience measures in the tourism sector, and to assist in the improvement of disaster risk management governance.
Their research says that between 1930 and 2016, Belize has been one of the countries in Latin American and the Caribbean that has been most afflicted by extreme meteorological events such as hurricanes and tropical storms. It has been hit by 16 major tropical storms, at least 1 every 5 years, affecting over 287 thousand Belizeans, and causing about 635 million US dollars in damages and losses.
So, the IDB wants to assist residents living in and around Collet Canal, to reduce flooding when any kind of thunderstorms hit. They are also trying to help mitigate beach erosion for the residents of Caye Caulker, near the Palapa Gardens Beach.
Planned works include a pumping station, the installation of floodgates in canals to control water flow, and actions to control coastal erosion in Palapa Gardens beach on Caye Caulker.
Today, we spoke with the IDB's Country Representative, and we asked them why these two areas were chosen to receive aid. Here's what she told us:
Cassandra T. Rogers - Country Representative, IDB
"Following the passage of Hurricane Earl, if you remember in August of 2016, the Government asked the bank that in addition to the emergency technical support that we had provided, if we could have done an assessment of the effects and impacts of the storm on Belize. And so, the Bank worked in collaboration with ECLAC, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, to conduct this very detailed study, in collaboration with various government agencies, and it was the findings of that study that highlighted the real vulnerability of Belize City, of Belize in general, but in particular, in the context of Hurricane Earl, of Belize City, as well as of the cayes. And so, in that context, the Government asked the bank if we can prepare a loan that would address the problems that were highlighted by Hurricane Earl. And so, those problems related 1, to flooding in Belize City, which we all know about and see on a regular basis, once there is an extreme event, as well as to the problem of beach erosion, and the degradation of coral reef and sea grasses in the Cayes, and in particular, in Goff Caye, and in Caye Calker. What this financing is doing is doing is providing studies, as well as flood control works, so we are expanding the flood mitigation program to the area of collet canal and in that particular area. The pumping station is really designed to control the flow of water. So, when you have an extreme rain even, it will allow the water to drain out into the sea, and that is going to complemented by sluice gates, so that you can actually control the water, depending on the level of water itself."
Daniel Ortiz
"So, residents in these particular areas chosen should see significant improvements when rains and floods take place."
Cassandra T. Rogers
"That is the essential Idea."
The IDB says that this project is expected to directly or indirectly benefit over 103 thousand Belizeans living in Belize City and Caye Caulker. The US$10 million loan, from the Bank's ordinary capital, is for a 25-year term, with a 5.5-year grace period..
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