Taking Stock of Belize’s Mangrove Carbon

Mangroves are among the most ecologically valuable marine ecosystems in the world.  They serve as the habitat for fisheries, protect shorelines from the full impact of storms and remove earth-warming carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store this carbon below ground in the soil.  Earlier today, the first comprehensive national estimate of mangrove carbon stock was present in Belize.

Orlando Habet

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“The workshop is looking at all aspects of blue carbon, the potential that Belize has in making its assessments and looking at what we have from mangroves and then subsequently to look at sea grass.  It is very important because through the assistance of the Pew Charitable Trust the Smithsonian Institute, WWF and of course locally, we have had some work done and today they will be reporting… but the assessment for our national blue carbon as it pertains to mangroves, a discussion will ensue on continuing with doing the assessment also for sea grass and hopefully in a discussion we are just having preliminarily, if we also agree, that they can look at peat that surrounds those areas because it also has potential for carbon.  But also the importance of our conservation of those ecosystems which are so very important economically.  Of course, mangroves are habitats for fish and other marine life.  The contribution that it does to mitigation and adaptation to climate change.  We know what it does when we have our hurricanes and prevents coastline erosion and of course the effects of high tides.  So looking at all that, all the benefits economically and physically and also for the survivability of the species, but also importantly the livelihood of our communities, especially coastal communities.”