Taiwan & Belize Sign Off on Another Urban Resilience Project
An official ceremony to mark the closing for phase one of the Belize Urban Resilience and Disaster Prevention Project was held in Belmopan today. It was carried out through partnership between the Government of Belize and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The celebration also led to the signing of the Flood Warning Capacity Improvement for the Belize River Basin Project, which will see further work done along the Belize River and to help with data collection and building the resiliency of the country. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Today, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Orlando Habet and Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize David Kuan-Chou Chien signed off on agreement to improve Belize’s resilience through the Flood Warning Capacity Improvement for the Belize River Basin Project.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management
“We needed this assistance for our work that we are doing in terms of building resilience in our communities, especially those that will assist us in early warning system which was part of the entire goal and concept of the first phase of the program, building that climate resilience/early warning system work that was done in San Ignacio, in Bullet Tree, building culverts and larger drainage systems to get the water out. They are always willing to assist; we must recognise that they have plenty of technology that can assist not only countries like us that are developing countries, but even countries with emerging economies. So we believe that whatever support that we can give, we try to give Taiwan.”
It comes on the heels of another project which officially concluded today and focused on urban resilience and disaster prevention in the west.
Jason Tuan
Jason Tuan, Project Manager, Urban Resilience and Disaster Prevention Project
“The first phase, we set out four hydro-meteorological station in San Ignacio and Bullet Tree area so we can collect the data on the Macal River and the Mopan River so that we can see water rising. We can also collect the rain data. And with this two data, we can do some modelling so we have the flood potential map. This map can be used for the focus to this area for the people.”
Kenrick Williams
Dr. Kenrick Williams, C.E.O., Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management
“What we are trying to do is to build out the data information technology as it relates to flood warning and building resilience and responsiveness to these early flood warning systems. As we saw in the recent hurricane Julia and the floods in San Ignacio/Santa Elena area, we get these floods, but we are not able to provide the type of response that is required in terms of early response that is required so people within the San Ignacio downtown area where with the type of information that we build from these projects, we are able to warn them effectively. So within two or three hours based on the ongoing or projected rainfalls that this is the type of effects that we expect. So this type of systems can help to build early warnings and help to build the resilience so that there is less losses and less damages to people.”
And so the new project, which is valued at over one point two million U.S. dollars, will take about three years to be completed. The data collected, says C.E.O. Doctor Kenrick Williams, will help to inform those at risk of potential flooding disaster along the Belize River.
Dr. Kenrick Williams
“So we are going to be installing these hydrological stations throughout the Belize River basin, all the way down to Belize City so that again we can, based on the rainfall, based on the flood extent, we can generate these flood extent map and have a better idea where we will see the type of flood impacts. So how will it affect Bermudian Landing, how will it affect Ladyville? And what extent is it? Just around the river banks? Is it going to extend to key parts of villages and the communities? This information can then help us to respond better.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
