Belize Strengthens Forecasting, Disaster Readiness

Belize is doubling down on climate action with a stronger focus on teamwork and preparation. Earlier today, the National Meteorological Service brought together government officials, civil society, and private-sector partners for the Thirteenth National Climate Outlook Forum. The aim is to sharpen our seasonal forecasting, boost disaster readiness, and build a more climate-resilient Belize. It’s a big step forward in making sure the country is ready for whatever nature throws our way.

 

Daniel Mendez, Coordinator, NEMO

“What we’re doing here is looking at the seasonal outlook as it relates to the climate in Belize and what we should be anticipating for the rest of the year so we were presented with information for the seasonal outlook for drought, the seasonal outlook for rain, and so what we will do with that information is incorporate it into our planning so that we are knowing with this in advance we should know when to anticipate certain things to happen. Yes, particularly for NEMO and the rest of the national emergency system knowing when to anticipate drought, knowing when to anticipate fire, and the likelihood for flash floods happening across the country helps us in being able to determine and reinsuring that we have the resources available when we do have to deploy.”

 

Ronald Gordon, Chief, Meteorologist, National Meteorological Service

“In this particular forum we are also presenting two important projects that we care doing  one is a project with the Korean International Corporation Agency where we want to develop impact based forecasting for the Toledo and Orange Walk District, by that we mean we want to go into the communities we want to find out what are their impacts the normally get from particular hazards and how we can improve our products so we can prepare them for those impacts we also have another project similar to that one in the Belize river water shed and that is funded through the Caribbean development bank  and we are looking at that same kind of thing, buying from the community for them to understand what we do and how we can improve to mitigate natural hazards so that they don’t have to be a disaster.”