Ministry of Blue Economy to Hold National Adaption Plan Consultations for Coastal Zone and Fisheries Sector

Belmopan, June 19, 2023.

The Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Representative for Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize and Belize’s National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund will be holding one-day consultations for the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for the Coastal Zone areas of Belize and the Belize Fisheries Sector. The consultations will be held on June 20, 2023, in Dangriga Town, and on June 22 and 23, 2023, in Belize City.

The objective is to prepare a comprehensive and robust multi-sectoral NAP for the coastal zone and fisheries sector that will highlight the climate change adaptation and mitigation challenges and priorities, taking into consideration private sector engagement, gender dimensions, and indigenous peoples. The NAP will identify viable, relevant, and appropriate adaptation actions to strengthen the national response to climate change impacts. This will help to reduce the vulnerability to climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience and facilitating the integration of climate change adaptation into development planning at the national level.

Climate change, via its varied manifestations, is altering the economic, environmental, social, and cultural landscapes globally, with no single region or country spared. The economic sectors in many countries, which took decades to build, are suddenly faced with an unprecedented onslaught of climate-related challenges that are leading directly to reduced productivity.

Addressing medium- and long-term climate change impacts in the coastal zone and fisheries sector further requires a coordinated strategy document for implementing climate change adaptation. This would increase capacity and resilience, bring about transformation and system transitions, take measures to uphold sustainable human and ecosystem health and gender-inclusive socio-economic well-being, and reduce losses and damages.

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For more information, contact:

Mr. Carlos Pol

Director, Climate Finance Unit

Ministry of Economic Development

Carlos.Pol@med.gov.bz

 

Ms. Felicia Cruz

Director of Blue Economy

Ministry of Blue Economy & Civil Aviation

director@blueeconomy.gov.bz

 

Mr. Jeffy V. Gomez

GCF National Project Support Consultant

Jeffy.Gomez@fao.org