New report highlights climate change risks facing Belizean children

The Government of Belize and UNICEF Belize have launched a new report examining how climate change, environmental pressures, energy issues and disasters affect children and other vulnerable groups.  The Climate Landscape Analysis for Children Plus Report was officially launched on July seventeenth by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management, through its Sustainable Development Unit and Climate Change Department.  The report is described as Belize’s first comprehensive national assessment of the effects of climate-related and environmental challenges on children, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.  It contains recommendations intended to guide policies, investments and programmes aimed at building resilience among populations considered especially vulnerable to climate change.  The report also calls for greater coordination across health, education, social protection, disaster-risk management, environmental management and sustainable development.  Representatives from government, development agencies, civil society, academia and youth organizations attended the launch to review the findings and discuss possible priorities for implementation.  While the report provides a framework for evidence-based action, its longer-term effect will depend on how its recommendations are funded, incorporated into public policy and implemented across the relevant sectors.