Global Climate Fund Stakeholders Workshop

Climate change has become a buzz word for Small Island Developing States like Belize. The effects of climate change are visible along Belize’s coast where many communities are experiencing firsthand the erosion of beaches and homes.  Mitigating the effects of climate change along Belize’s coast requires a multi-sectoral approach, says Kennedy Carillo, the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Blue Economy. It is to this end that the ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Global Climate Fund, hosted a stakeholder’s workshop at the Radisson in Belize City. C.E.O. Carillo told us more about the workshop.

Kennedy Carillo

Kennedy Carillo, C.E.O., Ministry of Blue Economy

“Climate change is an important, urgent, topic for us in Belize. As the Ministry of Blue Economy, responsibilities for Fisheries and well as Coastal Zone Management we recognize our mandate in terms of responding. So, this particular meeting here, this workshop brings together the different communities, the fishery communities, the coastal communities, as well as N.G.O. partners, and other G.O.B. agencies that have responsibilities. We must recognize that responding to the challenges of climate change, coastal erosion, has to be a response that is multi-sectoral. It cannot be the response of just one Ministry. We must really look into the responsibilities of communities as well. We see the situation for example down south, and we keep speaking about that. Rightly said, it is a problem we have across our coast, from one end of the country to the other. But, we know that all of us have a responsibility to play. So, I think one of the key teams is especially that, looking how communities play their role in safeguarding what we have. Also, how do we now come together, community, government, N.G.O.s, to work together? We see the perfect example of what happened with Silk Caye. It evolved very quickly, but we were able to identify the positives in all of this, that communities have an important role to play.”