Can Belize Protect Chiquibul Before It’s Too Late?  

What is the true cost of neglecting Belize’s most vital rainforest? The Chiquibul, a sprawling ecosystem that feeds the Belize River watershed, supplies water to thousands, from rural villages to urban centers, even to the factories that produce our favorite beverages. Yet, despite its importance, the forest now sits at the heart of a national debate over governance and protection. NGO Senator Janelle Chanona is sending a clear warning, calling for a multiagency management authority to safeguard the Chiquibul and ensure transparency in conservation efforts. Her call is direct, protecting water means protecting the nation. But as competing interests, from government to private sector to NGOs, vie for influence, can Belize find a governance model that truly serves the ecosystem and, by extension, the nation? Or will fragmented oversight put our most essential resource at risk?

 

Janelle Chanona, NGO Senator

“Significant because the Chiquibul is the source of the Belize River watershed, meaning all the water we use and drink here in Belmopan and Belize City and in dozens of rural communities along the river directly and daily depends on the conservation efforts of the Chiquibul. That includes water for soft drink, beer and everything. There is a lot we can live without, but water is not one of them. So, the protection, regulation and overall governance of this protected area is tantamount to national security and it is why we ask all members to support efforts to create a multiagency management authority for the Chiquibul. It is a false narrative that governance must be binary, only this one, only that one, only NGOs, only private companies. We reject that entirely. As a nation we must resolve that any shifts in our governance and regulations of areas such as the Chiquibul must be grounded in clarity, must ensure transparency and must serve the best interest of the ecosystems because that is in the nation’s best interest.”