5 days ago
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Belize is taking a major step forward in strengthening its climate resilience, as government and international partners officially launched a critical initiative aimed at addressing coastal flooding and storm surge risks. This morning, the Opening Ceremony for the Coastal Inundation Project, also referred to as the Storm Surge Workshop, got underway at the Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City. The workshop brings together regional and international experts in meteorology, disaster management, and climate science. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the National Hurricane Center, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and other regional bodies from across the Caribbean and Latin America. Notably, this marks the first time Belize is hosting the workshop, underscoring the country’s growing role in regional climate response efforts. Delivering the featured address was Minister of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management, Henry Charles Usher, who emphasized the importance of the project in building national preparedness.
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “It’s an opportunity to look at new storm surge models. It’s an opportunity to look at new technology. It’s an opportunity to hear from our region, especially we have representation from Jamaica. We know that they just went through a category five hurricane last year, Hurricane Melissa. So it’s an opportunity for us to learn, for us to be better prepared and for us to utilize the technology, utilize this modeling technology to be able to advise our communities with advanced early warning systems and certainly be better able to protect lives, protect property, and ultimately to be able to bounce back in the event that there is some kind of natural hazard event. What you’re seeing is a coordinated effort between or among all of the institutions that deal with this National Hydrology Organization, the National Met Service, NEMO, the Ministry of Disaster Risk Management. We’re coordinating efforts so that we don’t duplicate what is happening, but we also are better able to share that information, be better able to communicate to the communities, communicate to the population, and be able to, as I said, be prepared in the event of what we know is increased storm activity in the region.”
Minister Usher highlighted that the workshop would provide critical tools and data to better predict and respond to storm surge events, which have historically caused significant damage to coastal communities. He also pointed to Belize’s geographic vulnerability, noting that much of the country, particularly low-lying coastal areas, is at risk.
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “Like any coastline that lies below sea level, it’s vulnerable. In the Caribbean we are victims of climate change. We have to be able to be resilient, be responsive to these issues, be responsive when we have a tropical cyclone. We have any flooding event. We know that the areas that are prone to flooding. So we have to be able to model those, predict those, and be resilient in terms of the way we would get back to our communities, get back to our homes, to our farms, to our businesses. And that is where this type of workshop, this type of modeling helps in that regard. Certainly, storm surge is one for the low-lying areas. I represent an area, the Fort George division, that is on the coastline. I remember quite vividly the 2022 Hurricane Lisa, which was only a category one, but the storm surge that came to many households. I think 60% of the households and the businesses in the Fort George constituency were affected and for weeks and weeks after Hurricane Lisa people were clearing mud, clearing debris from their homes, from their businesses and getting back to their routine. If we’re able to model this, predict it, then we know where we need to move people from so that they can seek shelter, seek safety and so we can protect lives and that’s the ultimate goal of any type of technology, of any type of effort is to protect the lives of our citizens.”
The workshop focused on improving forecasting models, enhancing early warning systems, and strengthening coordination among regional agencies. Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon, along with representatives from international partner organizations, also addressed participants, reinforcing the importance of data-sharing and joint response strategies in mitigating the impacts of climate change.
English (US) ·