Placencia’s Shoreline Is Eroding… But How Bad Is It?

The Department of the Environment (DOE), in partnership with the Placencia and Seine Bight Village Councils, has approved a major study to tackle worsening coastal erosion along the Placencia Peninsula.

For years, residents and property owners have watched the shoreline wash away, damaging beachfront properties and raising concerns for the future. Erosion is not a new issue. Individual residents, the Placencia Village Council, and local nonprofits have all tried to call attention to the problem.

In 2016, residents formed the Placencia Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development, a volunteer group working to clear rocks and other non-permitted structures from the coastline. Still, past efforts have largely been local and limited in scope.

On Monday, the DOE, the Government of Belize, and the two village councils signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). At the signing, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management, Orlando Habet, said: “Today we gather because we are facing one of the most significant environmental challenges in our region’s history… This erosion is not only reshaping the coastline; it is affecting the social well-being, economic stability, and community safety. It is causing a level of economic uncertainty along the peninsula that has never been experienced before.”

Habet added that no full scientific study has been done to measure how serious the erosion is or what’s causing it, making it difficult for government and local leaders to take clear steps.

There have been smaller studies in the past. A 2024 survey found residents ranked erosion among their top concerns. Earlier research also linked erosion to unchecked development and warned it could undermine future resilience efforts. Even a 1987 geological survey of Monkey River noted how sand mining upstream worsened erosion for communities downstream.

Now, the government says it is taking more comprehensive action. The DOE has hired Community and Practice, along with experts from the University of South Florida, to conduct an in-depth coastal study. The team will look at how the coastline is changing, identify where sand can be sourced for restoration, and recommend practical solutions.