Blue Economy Ministry Holds Second Climate Resilience Fair

Today the Ministry of Blue Economy held its second Climate Resilience Fair. It followed the Climate Resilience Forum on Thursday, and is a testament of the efforts of everyone, including the N.G.O. community, who have contributed to ensuring that Belize is more climate-resilient than it was in previous years. The fair also precedes World Oceans Day on Saturday, a day set aside globally to bring awareness to the important role the world’s oceans plays in life on the planet. News Five stopped in at the fair and spoke with a few of the people that made the event possible. Here’s that report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The impact of climate change on the Earth has prompted countries to introduce measures that people can follow to slow down the process and, at best, reverse those impacts. Felicia Cruz, the Director of Blue Economy, says that the planet’s waterways have suffered immensely, not only from climate-related activity, but from human behaviour as well.

 

Felicia Cruz, Director, Blue Economy

“Our seas, of course, have been faced with unprecedented challenges, as you mentioned: climate change, over-fishing, pollution – it’s a combination of many factors that have affected our fishing sector. But at the end of the day, our government remains adamant in ensuring that we sensitize the people and that we also enforce the laws of Belize.”

 

 

 

The Wildlife Conservation Society has been actively engaging fishing and farming communities in methods to not only adopt, but to adjust those behavioural patterns that have helped to damage our planet. Communications Coordinator, Deseree Arzu says the focus is to help these communities develop their first-ever climate action and management plan.

 

 

 

 

 

Deseree Arzu, Communications Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society Belize Program

“We’re working in three communities in Belize of the M.F.C, of course, you’ve done the storytelling competition that we’ve had in the Maya Forest Corridor. So we’re working there to restore forests. We’re also working at Glover’s Reef, which is at Middle Key where we have our research station. And we’re working with Saltwater Key Marine Reserve as well, which Saltwater and Glovers are two of the areas where W.C.S. does a lot of research work. So we’re promoting nature based solutions in order to address climate change.”

 

Marion Ali 

“What message are you taking to these same communities to let them know that listen – climate change – a big part of it has to do with human behavior, human activity. A lot of the health of the environment has to do with what we do with the environment?”

 

 

 

 

Deseree Arzu

“Small things we can do like we keep saying this, but the more we repeat it I believe hopefully it sticks with people. Things like turning off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth not throwing garbage on the in the environment and putting it in a bag until it reaches somewhere to place it in a secure location.”

 

 

 

Founded in 1987, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is the first established marine reserve in Belize. Its responsibilities include monitoring and managing the reserve and working on projects such as the sea turtle nesting program in Ambergris Caye. Executive Secretary, Vicky Coc told us that visitors to Hol Chan follow the rules and regulations in keeping it as healthy as possible, for the most part.

 

 

 

 

Vicky Coc, Executive Secretary, Hol Chan Marine Reserve

“The people in San Pedro, we do care about our reef. As long as we keep working with them, we keep educating them and sharing with them about the do’s and don’ts, then we have a very positive community feedback. They actually respect, you know, our rules and regulations at the reserve. We also have our operations and enforcement team that is out at the reserve 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We can say that our guides and guests are very cooperative when it comes to that.”

 

 

 

Today’s climate-resilience fair was held a day before World Oceans Day on Saturday. Marion Ali for News Five.