Solar Power Brings New Hope for Water Security in Rural Belize  

For families in rural Belize, reliable water can mean the difference between getting by and going without. Now, a new international investment is changing that. In October 2025, Belize secured approval for a ten-million-dollar climate adaptation project that will use solar energy and innovative water management to strengthen water security in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities. Known as SEAM, the five year initiative is bringing forward thinking solutions to Boom Creek, Dolores, Otoxha, and Copper Bank, helping more than eighteen hundred residents gain improved access to water as climate pressures continue to grow.

 

Dr. Juana Garcia Saqui, Project Coordinator, PACT

“SEAM; what is SEAM? It is a major milestone for Belize’s climate resilience and rural development. It addresses the critical challenge which is reliable access to safe water in the face of climate change. We are not just building water systems, we are combining solar technology, ecosystem restoration, inclusive governance and sustainable livelihoods into one integrated solution. The project is funded, as already mentioned, by the Adaptation Fund with five million US dollars over four years. It is implemented by the Protected Areas Conservation Trust and executed by the Ministry of Rural Transformation.”

 

Carlos Pol, CEO, Ministry of Economic Transformation

“Through this initiative, the communities of Dolores, Otoxha, Boom Creek, and Copper Bank, are moving closer to a future where water is certain, a future where systems are not fragile, but resilient. Closer through infrastructure with the design and construction of solar powered hybrid water systems, delivering on sustainable and reliable water supply to all beneficiaries of these four communities. Closer to restoration with targeted ecosystem rehabilitation efforts, including watershed restorations, reforestation, and agroforestry initiatives that will protect and sustain water resources and livelihoods, particularly for women and vulnerable groups.”

 

It’s the third time the Adaptation Fund has backed Belize’s national push to build climate resilience.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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