Ministry of Sustainable Development, IOM engage in climate change resilience project in Western Belize

By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) embarked on a project entitled “Building Climate Change Resilience and Social Integration of Displaced People in Settlements of Western Belize.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was held in Billy White Village on November 24, 2022.

The project will address a priority need identified in the government’s agenda on sustainable development, which contributes to Belize’s efforts toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13. 

The partners successfully secured a US$2,300,000 grant through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Lives in Dignity Grant Facility funded by the European Union.

This project is one of two successful projects of the 70 projects submitted for consideration by the Lives in Dignity Grant Facility.

The Ministry noted that the objective of the project is to support displaced persons in migrant settlements to become productive members of their host communities and participate in furthering their common resilience, socio-economic growth, and sustainable development, thereby preventing further displacement.

Specific goals include:

Constructing approximately three miles of drains and placement of 10 culverts in Billy White Village and approximately one mile of drains and two culverts at Los Tambos Government Primary School, which is used as a hurricane shelter.

 Upgrading the water systems to meet Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Standards (WASH) for Billy White, Los Tambos and Santa Familia villages.

The Government of Belize says that this project aligns with Plan Belize and addresses the objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) 2, 7, 15, 16 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 13. The outcomes directly contribute towards the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its principle on “Leaving No One Behind.”

This project will serve as a pilot initiative with the intent of scaling up across other communities in Belize, thereby addressing the migration environment, climate change nexus, and community stabilization.

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