Government of Belize and Nature Conservancy Partner to Protect Rivers and Freshwater Resources

The Government of Belize and The Nature Conservancy Belize have signed an agreement to work together to better protect and manage Belize’s rivers, watersheds and other freshwater resources. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management and The Nature Conservancy Belize. The partnership will see both sides working together on watershed planning, monitoring water resources, collecting data, raising public awareness and involving communities and other stakeholders in freshwater conservation. The agreement comes as Belize’s freshwater systems face growing challenges, including flooding, drought, rising temperatures and pollution. The Nature Conservancy brings years of experience in freshwater conservation and watershed management, including working with governments and communities to restore watersheds and prepare for the effects of climate change. The organization’s Belize Country Program Director, Hannah St. Luce-Martinez, says the partnership is important because what happens to water in one area can affect communities and ecosystems further downstream. Through the agreement, the Government of Belize will work with The Nature Conservancy to strengthen the way the country’s freshwater resources are monitored, managed and protected.