University of Belize and Inter-American Development Bank host climate change seminar

By BBN Staff: This week, 16 professionals in the field of engineering and land use management completed a three-month climate change seminar hosted by the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB ERI) with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The seminar, entitled ‘Climate Change Adaptation Planning for the Coastal Zone,’ was geared towards building local capacities for the management of natural and climate hazards along the Belize coastal zone. The seminar combined online and in-person teaching and course work with relatable examples throughout the Caribbean, as well as field trips at locations within Belize.

The IDB said that the course provided foundational technical skills and day-to-day practical knowledge on the planning, design, and execution of risk-resilient coastal protection infrastructure and sustainable land-use policy and practices. During the seminar, the participants discussed topics such as integrated coastal zone management, coastal risk modeling, engineering design of hard and nature-based coastal protection infrastructure and low-cost monitoring and maintenance measures to better manage investments after implementation.

IDB Country Representative for Belize, Cassandra T. Rogers, said “It is our hope that the new graduates will apply the knowledge gleaned from this course, particularly the  applications of nature-based approaches to coastal defense, to better leverage the wealth of ecosystem services that Belize is naturally, richly endowed with, towards building more resilient coasts and a sustainable path to national development.”

UB ERI’s Administrative Director, Dr. Leandra Cho Ricketts, said that UB was proud to have partnered with the IDB for the seminar and noted that, “The seminar, in particular, targeted the private sector, an important player in helping the country enhance its resilience to climate change and ensure continued provision of coastal ecosystem services”.

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