We also asked Alegria about a pair of canals that have been dug near to the newly reconstructed Phillip Goldson Highway. Now, the highway was designed - at great cost - with climate change mitigation measures in place. And that's because it is on a vulnerable strip of land between The Belize river and the Caribbean sea. But now - a new property development for a private gated community - has brought two canals in from the sea to within a couple hundred feet of the highway. This is at mile 7 on the highway.
Today we asked the Chief Environmental Officer - who lives in Ladyville whether this is has been environmentally cleared - he claimed he had no specific knowledge of the project:
Martin Alegria, Department of Environment/Cheif Environmental Officer
"There is plans or at least ideas concepts of dewatering or assisting in the flooding."
"Well whatever we try to do in the department of the environment, we try to, one of the key factors to look for when you look at when you are analyzing a project proposal is climate change. How you prepare for climate change. So, if there were canals or so on done I am sure it was done with some form of environmental climate change related mitigation or concept looking into and see how it could or could not impact the bigger picture."
Sahar Vasquez, reporter
"So, you're not really aware of it, a canal by mile 7 on the Northern [Highway]."
Martin Alegria
"I think I have seen 1 or 2 going up that is at least 2 hundred or so feet away from the..."
"When we look at environmental screening of projects it's a multi-agency approach so we usually would involve in terms of engineering works or works that could impact or project that could impact highways. We get the analysis assessment by Ministry of Works - engineers and the approval from the works before we persuaded some of those undertaken or components of certain projects. The details I wouldn't be able, to but I know generally we do take precaution in terms of any public roads or any projects that do happen. I can tell you if there was any such thing, it was considered."
The 3.5 miles from the Haulover Bridge to the airport junction was paved at a cost of 13.5 million dollars - about 4 million dollars a mile because it had to incorporate climate mitigation measures.
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