2024-08-12 - Channel 5 Belize

Bridging Climate Change Knowledge Gap Through Journalism

Five Cs has entered a strategic partnership with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union to sponsor C.B.U. awards and host regional journalists in climate change workshops. This week, the organization is engaging a group of journalists from across the Caribbean in climate change related topics, ahead of the Caribbean Media Awards. Doctor Young spoke on the importance of this partnership.

Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, CCCCC

“The Five Cs have based on the research we have done in the region we have found out there is a tremendous knowledge gap between those who work in climate change and the regular persons on the ground, the farmers, fisherfolks and those who work in areas affected by climate change. So, the events of the C.B.U. is intended to help bridge that knowledge gap by helping to build knowledge gaps of the Caribbean public towards climate change. The stores and reporting we will tell are important to build that knowledge, whether print, digital, TV, news, it is important for journalist to effectively communicate the stories to understand the science of climate change so that they can engage audiences in an effective manner.”

Hurricanes are 2024 B.E.B.L. Champions

The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes are your 2024 B.E.B.L. Champions. The organization secured its fourth chip on Friday night inside the Belize City Civic Center. They are now the organization with the most championships in Belize. The Hurricanes defeated the Belize City Defenders in a controversial five-game series that saw six games being played. Depending on who you ask, the series ended in a tie with both teams winning three games. But technically, the third game was replayed and even though the Belize City Defenders won that game it was their second and last win in the final’s series. Hurricanes fans showed out in numbers for a win or go home match that resulted in the Defenders’ season-ending defeat with a score of six-nine points to the Hurricanes’ eighty-nine points. We spoke with members of the championship team immediately after the victory. Here is a clip of that story.

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Police Identify Body Found at Sea

On Saturday, the body of 23-year-old Victor Bol was discovered floating in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Punta Gorda. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero confirmed Bol’s identity during a briefing today.

Bol, a resident of Punta Gorda Town, had been reported missing by his common-law wife after their last contact last Friday.

Police told reporters that Bol was last seen drinking alcoholic beverages at Central Park before his body was found floating in the sea.

Authorities found no signs of injury on Bol’s body. Police continue the investigation.

Seven Armed Robbers Target Courts Belmopan

The Belmopan branch of the furniture and appliance store, Courts, was burgled on Monday, August 12, 2024, at around 4:30 a.m.

The building’s security guard reported that he was confronted by seven armed men while on duty. The suspects restrained him and then broke into the building.

In today’s police briefing, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero stated that the suspects stole several phones, laptops, and an undisclosed amount of cash from a safe.

An official notice was announced on Court’s Facebook page, advising their customers of the “Temporary Closure of COURTS BELMOPAN store until further notice.”

The investigation is ongoing, with surveillance footage to be reviewed.

Bat-tastic Study, Belizean Scientist Explores Bat Behaviour to Strengthen Conservation Efforts

During the sixteenth “Bat-a-thon”, a group of 80-some researchers converged at Belize’s Lamanai Archaeological Reserve in early May to study close to 80 species of winged mammals—bats.

Gliselle Marin, a PhD biology student at York University in Toronto, is the only Belizean participant of the study in northern Belize.

Marin, who sports bat-themed earrings and a bat tattoo, emphasised the unique behaviours and adaptive abilities of bats, which she believes are crucial for understanding broader ecological impacts. “When I actually started working with them and realising we have close to 80 species of bats,” she says, “I was like, ‘Okay, it’s kind of crazy that I’ve been in science my whole life and was never taught that we have this diversity of bats in Belize.’”

Marin’s research focusses on the dietary flexibility of bats, analysing bat faeces to determine their food sources. This allows a better understanding of how habitat fragmentation affects the diet and overall survival of bats.

As Belize faces increasing deforestation and climate challenges, Marin’s grassroots conservation efforts act as a bridge to local knowledge through scientific research.

For Marin, the core message is straightforward: Everything is interconnected—people, bats, and the forest. “We’re as special as everything else around us,” she says.

5Cs Engages Caribbean Journalists on Climate Change Forum in Belize

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has again partnered with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, which is holding its 55^th Annual General Assembly (AGA) and 35th CBU Caribbean Media Awards in Placencia, Belize. CCCCC is the sponsor of seven climate change categories in the media awards. This marks the second consecutive year of the CCCCC’s sponsorship in these categories.

The CCCCC, with funding from the EU-GCCA+ Project, is today hosting a media forum on climate change as the culmination of an impactful media engagement program that began in 2023. This forum coincides with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union’s (CBU) annual general assembly and awards ceremony, where the CCCCC will present awards for excellence in climate change coverage.

The forum aims to enhance knowledge of climate change impacts in the Caribbean, increase media interest and capacity for better climate change reporting, and present preliminary findings from a content analysis of entries in the 2022 and 2023 CCCCC-CBU climate change media awards.

The CCCCC brought together 13 journalists for the forum.

The workshop began with welcome remarks by Dr. Claire Grant, President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), followed by introductions and an icebreaker led by Tecla Fontenard. Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director of CCCCC, presented on current climate change facts and essential knowledge, which was followed by a plenary session for questions and discussions. After a brief break, the workshop resumed with a presentation and discussion on strengthening media coverage of climate change, delivered by Dr. Cleveland Sam, Director of Communications at The Nature Conservancy (TNC). This was followed by a presentation on covering climate change by Tecla Fontenard, Communications Specialist at CCCCC.

After lunch, the workshop continued with a content analysis of excellence in climate coverage, examining notable entries from the 2022 and 2023 CCCCC/CBU Climate Change themed media awards. This session, led by Steve Maximay, a member of the CBU CMA Judging Panel, included examples of award-winning content, lessons learnt, and best practices for media coverage. The day concluded with plenary discussions on the content presentation and closing remarks by Danelle De Coteau-Campbell, Lead Communications Specialist at CCCCC.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held in Dangriga, Commerce Bight Port Reopens

Belize is set to welcome a new port following a groundbreaking ceremony held on Friday, August 9, at the Commerce Bight Port. The project has been contentious since 2020, when the previous administration awarded Recological Services Limited a 25-year management contract, which the Briceño administration later cancelled.

Despite delays, the Briceño administration proposed transforming the site into a tourism hub. Investors, including Basilio Zabaneh, are expected to invest approximately sixty million dollars in the redevelopment of Commerce Bight Port.

At the ceremony, PM Briceño recalled, “I remember way back as early as probably as 2006, that the PUP, we made a commitment to Dangriga and to the people in the south that we are going to reopen Commerce Bight. Fast forward to today, as you know in December of last year we had to buy over the port of Belize, because no investments were being done.”

The port’s reopening is expected to create significant employment opportunities, with over 100 workers planned for the three-year construction phase and more than 60 full-time positions once it is completed. “We look forward to this project moving forward. All of us have collaborated on making this a reality. Certainly this will have a huge impact in terms of employment, in terms of quality of life,” stated Zabaneh.

“I believe that Belize is one of the few countries around the world, that we don’t monetize our waterways and seafront,” said Minister Anthony Mahler at the ceremony. “Commerce Bight was once the epicenter of commerce in this entire area, for agriculture, logging, cargo. Now, it is transitioning to what we are catering for these days. It’s transitioning to nautical tourism, which I strong believe, it is a sector of the tourism industry that we haven’t fully developed as yet,” he added.

The port will accommodate large vessels and cruise ships, aiming to enhance tourism, improve accessibility, and boost economic activity in southern Belize.

National Hurricane Center Monitors Potential Tropical Disturbance Five

The National Hurricane Center issues advisories on potential tropical cyclone Five. The disturbance is currently a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles.

There is a high chance of formation, with a 90 percent probability through both 48 hours and 7 days.

The next named storm for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be Ernesto.

Training on Greenhouse Gas Reporting for Belize’s Transport Sector

The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, through the National Climate Change Office (NCCO), hosted a three-day training on greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting for the transport sector in Belize from August 6th to 8th, 2024.

Supported by the Initiatives for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) and National Communication Biennial Transparency Report (NC/BTR) projects, the training aimed to enhance skills in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of GHG emissions.

With the transport sector contributing 40% of Belize’s GHG emissions, the training was critical for effective emission management. Participants were provided with technical knowledge on the reporting process and necessary data collection to meet obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

This training comes as Belize prepares its first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) to the UNFCCC.

Dr. Lorna McKay Endorsed as PUP’s Standard Bearer for Queen Square

The People’s United Party (PUP) is banking on Dr. Lorna McKay to flip Queen Square in favour of the ruling party. Denise ‘Sista B’ Barrow of the United Democratic Party is the current area representative. She does not plan to run again. Queen Square is considered a UDP stronghold.

PUP Leader, Prime Minister John Briceño, posted on Facebook, “The blue wave was strong in Queen Square as our Party leadership and supporters turned out for Dr. Lorna McKay’s endorsement convention. Dr. McKay is a career educator now seeking to elevate her community service to the national level as standard bearer for Queen Square.”

Dr. McKay was endorsed over the weekend, during a rally in Belize City. She said, “Today, my official endorsement for Standard Bearer for the PUP in the Queen Square Division kicked off. I promise to work hard to serve the community and make a meaningful difference in the lives of every resident.”

Dr. McKay is a career educator.

In 2023, Godwin Haylock was declared the new Queen Square standard bearer for the UDP.