On Wednesday, B.D.F. Commander Azariel Loria spoke briefly about the presence of an illegally built road inside the Chiquibul National Park. Earlier today, Friends of Conservation and Development issued a release in which it is presumed that the road is being used by Guatemalan ranchers to access water. This was determined by a flyover of the area last week. According to FCD, a similar road which stretches for a little over a mile was observed inside the Columbia River Forest Reserve in Toledo District. Of note is that the FCD does not have co-management jurisdiction in the Columbia River Forest Reserve, despite the fact that both protected areas are adjacent to each other. The release goes on to say that the nearest Guatemalan community is an area known as El Carrizal. Illegal timber extraction is known to take place in that area of the forest reserve for many years. It would seem, however, that the practice is better organized with wooden bridges being built to facilitate the movement of trucks carrying valuable timber, including rosewood. These illicit activities are reportedly close to the Machaquilha Conservation Post which is less than a mile from the Belize/Guatemala Adjacency Line.
Category: Environment
Refurbished FOB is More Hospitable to Soldiers
The Forward Operating Base at the mouth of the Sarstoon River began to deteriorate soon after its construction in 2016. Eventually, the Belize Defence Force had to limit its occupancy to only daylight hours because its structural integrity had come into question due to erosion. But a reinforced structure was opened recently, and again, B.D.F. soldiers are there to keep Belize’s southernmost boundary intact. And Commander of the B.D.F., Brigadier General Azariel Loria told News Five that the refurbished facility offers a much more spacious and comfortable working environment for the soldiers.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F
“Finally we have a better building, a better place for our soldiers to work in, with dignity. That’s how we envision that they must be treated, that their work. They are soldiers, we understand, but if we could create an environment so that they could live better, work better. The working conditions are a bit better. I believe that if that is possible, that we should give it to them. The building is completed. It has been refurbished and also as an attachment to that building is a kitchen that will be used as a little mini auditorium for visitors. If there are any visitors, it could be used as a briefing room or a briefing house.”
Five Hundred Children Celebrates World Meteorological Day
With World Meteorological Day just three days away, the National Met Service has already begun to celebrate. Today, hundreds of children from primary schools across the country visited their compound in Ladyville to take part in the various presentations held at the World Meteorological Day Fair. This year, Belize celebrates under the theme, “At the Frontline of Climate Action”. We stopped by to learn more about the event and its activities. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with that story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Every year, on March twenty-third, countries around the world join in the observation of World Meteorological Day. It is meant to commemorate the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization in 1950. This year’s theme highlights the very important role that weather and climate information play in advancing sustainable development goals and reducing the impacts of extreme weather and climate-related events on societies across the globe. Michael Holtz, a weather observer at the National Meteorological Service, gave us some information about the importance of the event.
Michael Holtz, Weather Observer, NMSB
“World Met Day is on March twenty-third, we’re celebrating a little bit earlier, but it’s about exposing the kids into the weather, how we get information from the weather, how that might be useful to them, and give them a little bit more insight about the rain, the weather, and So for the types of instruments we use and just to have them build up an interest in case they want to come work here work For a mutual job service and so they have a deeper understanding of science and how it works.”
Holtz said that the fair displayed a host of activities and informational booths for the kids to visit where they learned about the MET’s automatic weather stations, radar, and weather balloons. Around five hundred children attended the event, with some hailing from as far as Caye Caulker. Marina Chimilio explained why she thought it was important to make the visit to the fair along with her students.
Marina Chimilio, Teacher, Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School
“I believe that it’s important for kids to be a part of these kind of fairs. Because they could use it in their science lesson and get to learn more and put it into practice. I want them to learn more about the satellite. When they came, they asked, Miss, what is that big ball there? And we went and asked a gentleman and he said that after the tour that they will know more about it.”
Britney Gordon
And you’re hoping to implement some of the things that they learn here today into their science lessons?”
Marina Chimilio
“Yes ma’am.”
Amaya Tun, Student, Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School
“I learned that the sun recorder records how many, I don’t know how to say it, but the heat. It records all the heat that the sun projects.”
Britney Gordon
“So, can you tell me what you learned at today’s event so far?”
Penny Young, Student, Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School
“Okay, that the thermometers test the temperature of things.”
Britney Gordon
“So are you excited to be participating in today’s event?”
David Maradiaga, Student, Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School
“Yes.”
Britney Gordon
“Have you learned anything so far?”
“That there’s, that there’s four types of thermometers. And that there’s one of the thermometers, the max thermometer, is the closest to be those thermometers that the nurse give you.”
The highlight of the day’s activities was the releasing of a weather balloon used to measure temperature, wind, and pressure as it ascends. Michelle Augustine, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the National Met Service, said that performing a simulation with the balloon for the children to observe was an important part of today’s event, as the balloon is a vital tool in weather observations.
Michelle Augustine, Deputy Chief Meteorologist, NMSB
“This provides meteorologists or forecasters with an idea of what is happening above the surface in terms of these weather parameters. And it helps us to basically better forecast the weather conditions over our area. Additionally, this information is very important from the weather balloon. During hurricane season. Because when we have the approach of a storm, the National Hurricane Center relies on this information from this ray of the sun that is released with the weather balloon to help them to assess or analyze the data over a particular area. So, the weather balloon will provide, for example, if a system is approaching, if the pressure is low, so it helps them to validate where the center of the storm is. Likewise, also the wind conditions. If the weather balloon goes up and measures, instrument, measures that the wind is very strong near our area, then the hurricane forecasters would be better able to pinpoint the location of the system.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
Thelma’s Neighbour Says Do something about the Smoke
If you’ve eaten from Thelma’s Kitchen before, then you know her food is very tasty. The last time we visited with Thelma Arana, it was to do a positive story about the variety of creole food she cooks daily at her Caesar Ridge Road address. But today, the story isn’t that good. In fact, one of Thelma’s neighbours has made a complaint against her business, claiming that the smoke that emanates from there is affecting her family. So, we stopped by to see what the issue was. We discovered that it is a barbeque grill that Thelma uses occasionally to boil the ingredients for her boil-up. But the next-door neighbour says the smoke issue occurs daily and that she wants it to stop. Thelma says the problem between her, and the next-door neighbour precedes the opening of her restaurant and involves other matters. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
A resident who lives beside a restaurant has gone public to complain about the challenge she has been having ever since the establishment opened up about ten years ago. Everyone in the Yarborough/Caesar Ridge Road area knows Thelma’s Kitchen. While many of you have enjoyed her food, her next-door neighbour, Betty Bradley, says she has not been enjoying the smoke from the restaurant.
Betty Bradley, Caesar Ridge Road Resident
“The neighbor has a restaurant, right, and I nuh have no problem with that, because everybody has to live, right? And deh thing deh, but then this is going through so many years I’ve been through. The neighbor light up a fire hearth every morning, soon da morning, and I live here, and that’s the smoke that wake me up. I can’t inhale. I have my family and everything there. My granddaughter gets sick offa the smoke.”
Bradley says that in the past, she had complained to the Belize City Council about the problem and that it had subsided. She now claims that the smoke is back daily. But Arana says that she had followed the Belize City Council’s directive and stopped using her fire hearth altogether and switched to custom-made gas stoves for cooking. She admits that twice a week she uses a barbeque grill for a short while because it is more affordable than butane.
Thelma Arana, Owner, Thelma’s Kitchen
“Da wa small barbecue grill I use. It’s not a huge fire weh yoh wudda say wa mek big fire or big smoke. I only light the fire on Thursdays and Fridays. We have to boil a huge [pot of] plantains, and that’s just for one hour. And Fridays, I had to boil the potatoes, the cassava thing, just for one hour, and then I out it. And then you have to boil deh pigtail, you have to boil all this stuff. I have to buy gas like once every time and maybe sometimes twice a week.”
Thelma Arana believes that the complaint stems from an old issue between them. Today when we showed up, the barbeque grill was not in use. Thelma says that to avoid a confrontation with her neighbour, she will consider giving up use of the grill as well. One thing both neighbours agree to is that they both have had differences in the past that had nothing to do with smoke.
“This lady has a thing against me, right? And she know the reason, right? All I want…”
Marion Ali
“It has to do with more than just the fire hearth stove?”
Betty Bradley
“Well, I think so.”
“My property was a little higher than hers and when it rained and then the water goh eena fi she yard ih cuss mi fi that. I can’t stop rain.”
The Belize City Council sent a representative today to Thelma’s Kitchen, to inform her that she will have to stop using the grill. She has told us that she will. Marion Ali for News Five.
NEMO And US Army Host Disaster Sensitivity Media Training
The National Emergency Management Organization is hosting its annual training with the U.S. Army and several Belizean media houses to strengthen relations between the disaster organization and the media. This training is carried out so that, in the case of an emergency, information can be distributed in an accurate and timely manner with the adequate care the situation may call for. This training is also a necessary aspect of the United States military’s preparation for hurricane support on disaster management, should they ever be called to Belize.
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“The events that are happening today are part of our annual training with the United States Army. So at the training team is actually from J.T. F., Bravo Joint Task Force Bravo, which is average out of Soto Cano, Honduras. And so they are the team that would respond to believes in case there was a need for humanitarian assistance or disaster response, and it exceeded our capacity. Today we’re talking about how the media engages with the disaster organizations to cover disaster events. We want to make sure that we provide information to the media and to the public. And trying to provide the media with some techniques on how to cover to cover these accurately. While at the same time getting as much information out to people. It’s important because as we look at disaster response, We need to work together. We need to be collaborative, and we need to have a comprehensive approach. NEMO and the government of Belize cannot do everything ourselves, and so we have to really reach out to all of our partners, including the media. The media is important. The media helps us in disseminating information. The media helps us to share information to people as they prepare, as they try to navigate the challenges that that disaster poses.”
Corozal Investor Given Six Weeks to Remove Illegal Jetty
Some weeks ago, News Five brought you the story of the illegal jetty that an investor in Corozal had begun to construct in the Corozal Bay. The jetty, still not completed, was at least three hundred feet into the sea and work was still underway. The residents of the area had raised concerns because the structure was in an area that is part of the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and they suspected that the investor had not gotten the necessary permits to build the jetty. News Five checked with the Department of the Environment, which confirmed that there was no permit given to have the structure built and today, Chief Environmental Officer, Anthony Mai told us that the property owner has six weeks from the time the jetty was deemed illegal to remove it.
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer, Dept. of Environment
“Before the jetty was constructed, or is constructed, he would have had to do an EIA, right, because that is what the law says.”
Marion Ali
“Did he do that?”
Anthony Mai
“The law says that any project within a protected area requires an EIA. So we informed him, he didn’t do the EIA and he went ahead and he constructed a portion of the jetty. When we were informed, we went and we issued a stop order and he was charged for that, particularly because it’s an offense to start a project without environmental clearance. When we were about to settle the matter, we were informed that he continued to construct and we met with him, and because of all the history in terms of the violation, we agreed with him that the jetty would be removed altogether. And so this came from him, from the owner: the owner agreed that because of all that has occurred, he agrees to remove the structure and we said that was the best option for us, the Department of Environment as well. And so we have written to him and we have given him a time period within which he needs to remove the jetty.”
Belize Participates in 6th UN Environment Assembly
Chief Executive Officer, Doctor Kenrick Williams is in Nairobi, Kenya where he is attending the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly. For Belize, the assembly provides a space to update the global community on its national efforts to address environmental and climate issues. Similarly, it serves as a platform to urge world leaders to deliver upon commitments and support developing states like Belize.
Dr. Kenrick Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Sustainable Development
“Belize is pleased to present its highest commitment and dedication in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Since our last meeting at this assembly, Belize has been working arduously to meet its national, regional and international commitments. With respect to climate change actions, Belize recently introduced the Climate Change and Carbon Markets Initiative Bill. This legislation will set up structures and systems aimed at meeting our commitments under the UN, CCC and the Paris Agreement. These achievements will additionally place Belize in a position to diversify its financing mechanism and enter the international carbon markets to finance our low emission resilient development. Belize continues to be a net carbon sink which is due to its adequately conserved, managed and enhanced forest resources. In line with our government’s Plan Belize Agenda, we have adopted a national forest restoration strategy which aligns with Belize’s pledges to the bond challenge where we commit to restoring a hundred and thirty thousand hectares by 2030. In line with the global biodiversity framework, Belize is now updating its national biodiversity strategy and action plan to continue to meet the urgent action of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and to put nature on a path to recovery.”
Squad 97 Hits the Streets for Cleanup Campaign
There is a new recruit squad presently at the National Police Training Academy in Belmopan. The cadets are completing a program that sees them learning the theoretical and practical aspects of policing. Earlier today, they were out in the field assisting various communities in Belize City with cleaning up their neighborhoods. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
This morning in Belize City, teams of recruits from the Belize Police Department descended on various communities. The men and women who have enlisted in the law enforcement agency did not hit the streets to make arrests or restore order. Instead, they were in Lake Independence and other neighborhoods to lead a cleanup campaign, as well as to familiarize themselves with residents in those areas.
Insp. Ryan Timmons, Regional Training Officer, Eastern Division
“This is the Recruit Squad 97. Recruit Squad 97 is over two hundred plus recruits who are currently in training. Right now, we have over about sixty plus recruits doing community service today. They are giving back to the community that they serve.”
Among them is Renisha Martinez. She comes from a family of police officers.
Renisha Martinez, Police Recruit
“I had two biggest role models in my life that were police officers and also growing up into a family home as that, it was inspiring to me. I always wanted to be a police officer and actually, to get this opportunity to be here is a blessing.”
Today, she is with her fellow recruits and together they are beautifying neighborhoods across the city that are considered hotspots. They are also taking the opportunity to meet the people who live there.
“We are actually doing some house to house meet and greet. We are doing this for the purpose itself which is to build a closer relationship with the people, also with ourselves, the law enforcement agency, also to protect and to provide safety for the people. So it’s also a good initiative to give back to our country and to be very thankful for everyone around.”
Also in Recruit Squad 97 is Rakeem Dawson. His reason for enlisting is to remove the stigma that is attached to the Belize Police Department. He boasts that his recruit intake is the most educated of the cadets taken in by the department.
Rakeem Dawson, Police Recruit
“There is this negative cloud over the police department. I know the entire country knows what that negative cloud is. I have a passion for serving my community and I believe that this is one way that I could give back to my community by helping to protect and serve. Some of the values that I’ve learned since joining Squad 97. We are young, energized and [Squad] 97 is actually one of the most educated squads to date. Most persons have an associates or even a bachelor’s degree in this squad. So the value here is to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the police department through two hundred and thirty-four recruits strong.”
Ryan Timmons
“Community interaction, community participation, community inclusion. We are going towards the area of community service, that they are giving back to the community that they serve.”
Isani Cayetano
“For an initiative like this, Inspector Timmons, one would want to think that perhaps you guys could have gotten some of the residents from this area to help to cleanup their neighborhood as well.”
“Yes, and I need to mention that this is an initiative that we are partnered with the Belize City Council’s Sanitation Department, the community, the recruits, and other police officers. We were in the community from yesterday talking about what we are doing. Everyone sees it as something positive, like what I am saying, community interaction. When they are finished with the cleanup, they will be doing a meet and greet, going door to door, talking to members and residents of the neighborhood getting their feedback direct and concerns that they have for the police.”
Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Belize Partners With Mexico and Guatemala to Preserve Groundwater
The National Hydrological Service of Belize is seeking to secure a tri-national groundwater management collaboration with Mexico and Guatemala. Belize already holds such a partnership with the neighboring countries, but now aims to elevate the project in order to maintain its groundwater reserves. Today, a groundwater conference was held at the Belize Civic Center with representatives from various organizations to discuss the resource preservation. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the event for more information.
Britney Gordon, reporting
In an effort to preserve Belize’s groundwater reserve, the Belize Hydrological Service held a workshop alongside partners at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Green Climate Fund. The workshop aims to secure international agreements with neighboring countries that will ensure the adequate management of water resources in the region. Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist at the National Hydrological Service, gave us some more information.
Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service
“What we’re hosting today is an internationally shared aquifer resources management workshop. Belize has transborder watersheds. We have five. All of them we share with Guatemala, and one we share with both Guatemala and Mexico. We have a dependency ratio of thirteen percent which means that we rely on our neighboring countries for our water resources. So it’s critical for us to foster partnership, cooperation, collaboration to manage this very delicate and finite resource.”
Hendy explained that Belize holds several partnerships in order to manage the country’s water reserves and is on its way to securing collaborations that will provide a more in-depth monitoring system.
“So we have collaboration, both in country, and we have with our regional partners. So Belize has a by national water commission with Mexico, of which ConAgua, which is like their IWRM agency in Mexico that collaborates with us on several different actions. We’ve completed quite a number with them. We’ve done a water quality monitoring program on the Corozal Bay, the Rio Hondo, looking, at what’s the pollutants coming out of that system that we share. We have next up for us to establish a binational monitoring system with Mexico and Belize. So we’re looking forward to that. With Guatemala, we have water quality discussions through the joint OAS committee which fosters collaboration between us and Guatemala as well.”
In attendance at the event was a Science Sector Program Specialist at UNESCO, who shared what kind programs are being implemented by the organization when working with Belize.
Alibek Otambekov, Science Sector Program Specialist, UNESCO
“We have different programs that make a specific focus on the transboundary issues and one of them is Menin Biosphere, which advocates and promote the Biosphere Reserve and Geoparks, including transboundary Biosphere Reserve. There are about twenty-two Biosphere Reserves worldwide, which are serving across the different countries. And also there’s a program of intergovernmental hydrology program in the science sector, which serves the water issues related to climate change and to disaster risk reduction and this also bring our focus to Belize issue of the transboundary issues with with Mexico and Guatemala.”
Hendy stated that the main objective for this workshop is to secure another tri-country project with Mexico and Guatemala, which would allow for a more dynamic management system to be implemented in the countries.
“We’re hoping that we can get a tri-country project. We have one, which is where what’s what we’re presenting here today on the Yucatan Peninsula on the aquifer, and we’re looking forward to having more actions like this. But we want to upscale. We’re trying to pilot dynamic water resources assessment tool, which was said before, in the speech that is like your bank account. It’s like your water bank account. We need to know how much water is there. What can we take out? What do we need to leave for ecosystem services? What can we, I don’t want to say waste, but what can we, have not so much control over? But for that, we need groundwater information. We need to know the thickness of the aquifer. We need to know how much water is down there. What’s How long will it take to recharge that aquifer? Right now we’re operating on limited information and so we are trying to advance this knowledge, so we’re hoping that we get another project that will help us to delve deeper into getting the information we need so that we can create the water balance for Belize. If you’re off balance, you fall down. And we don’t want to do that.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
Watershed Management Plan to Be Implemented At New River
For months, changes in the appearance of the New River in Orange Walk have raised concerns regarding the health of the water and the living organisms within. Several assessments have been carried out in order to identify the issues and plans of implementing a new watershed management system are in the works. Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist at the National Hydrological Service, spoke about the situation.
Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service
“I haven’t seen any gases being emitted, so that’s a good thing, but I can tell you that the issue that contributed to the new river situation is what I said, surface water and groundwater being linked. If we over abstract, we take water, we just waste it, it has an impact on our groundwater and the groundwater provides base flow, which keeps our rivers and streams alive. If we waste the water and we remove that outflow into that river system, then you will get all kinds of things happening. It’s a delicate balance. Flow provides mixing, oxygen, different, chemicals, natural processes within the river require that influence, requires that movement. The New River is basically flat, which means that it doesn’t have slopes, and slopes help us with mixing. When we are flat, we kind of stay a little bit stagnant, it takes a little bit longer time for things to travel. So there are multiple reasons. We are committed, along with the Department of the Environment, to doing a watershed management plan for the New River. So we’re looking forward to bringing to the table implementation plans such as these for funding in this conference.”