Will Climate-Resilient Roads Worsen Flooding in Low-Lying Areas?

Residents along sections of the George Price Highway and in communities such as Ladyville say new drains being built as part of ongoing highway upgrades are too high. They say low-lying properties could be left with worsening flood conditions instead of improved drainage.

Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Julius Espat, told News 5 the design of the drains is based on “climate resilient” standards now required by international financial institutions funding the projects.

But one resident who we spoke to told us, “My concern is that, is this really climate resilient, or is it going to flood my yard every single time it rains?” 

Under these standards, roads are being elevated, and drainage systems deepened across the highway network. 

A second resident said, “The wall they are building is three blocks high. Way higher than my yard. I can’t even park my car in my yard. We know this area is prone to flooding. Now this area is guaranteed to flood.”

When asked how water is expected to drain from properties if the surrounding infrastructure sits at a higher level, Espat said the systems are designed to improve overall flow and that engineers will assess individual cases. He acknowledged, however, that not all concerns may be fully resolved. “In all honesty, if you’re living in an area that’s lowland, it’s hard to 100% satisfy all of the queries,” Espat said.

He added that lagoon areas function as natural watersheds designed to temporarily hold excess water, noting that residential development has increasingly taken place within these flood-prone zones. “It becomes problematic. We are doing our best. We will address every single situation. When the complaints come in, we don’t hide from it, we address it,” Espat told News 5.

Espat said ministry engineers, along with social outreach staff assigned to the projects, are meeting residents individually in Belize City and Ladyville to review concerns. He said most complaints tend to arise early in construction when new road levels first go in.

“Progress brings problems,” he said. “You’re making sure residents of the country can travel from one area to the next, and yes, you will have problems in other areas that we have to address. We can’t run away from it.”