Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), launches “Building Climate
Change Resilience and Social Integration of Displaced People in Settlements of Western Belize”
Project.
Belmopan, Belize, 2nd February 2022.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are collaborating with the European Union
(EU) to build climate change resilience. The initiative targets four settlements in western Belize, which are vulnerable to climate change, to support social integration of displaced people into
mainstream society.
To this end, the project partners identified the need and successfully secured EURO $2,000,000.00 (BZ $4,600,000.000) grant funding through the EU funded and UNOPS operated Lives in Dignity Grant Facility for the project entitled “Building Climate Change Resilience and Social Integration of Displaced People in Settlements of Western Belize.” This project was successfully chosen from more than 70 projects submitted for funding consideration to the Lives in Dignity Grant Facility last year.
The general objective of this project is to support displaced persons in migrant settlements to become productive members of their host communities and participate in furthering their common resilience, socio-economic growth, and sustainable development, thereby preventing further displacement. Specific deliverables of this project include the following:
- Constructing approximately 3 miles of drains and placement of 10 culverts in the Community of Billy White, where approximately 50 households become flooded every year, and approximately 1 mile of drain and 2 culverts at Los Tambos community primary school, which is used as a hurricane shelter for approximately 100 persons.
- Equipping four settlements surrounded by pine savannahs and threatened by forest fires with one fire bowser outfitted with fire fighting equipment. This will benefit approximately 1,550 displaced people from four settlements
- Establishing emergency response teams and fire fighting brigades (90 persons) in six settlements and building their capacity through training on disaster risk management, search and rescue and fire management to ensure sustainability.
- Upgrading two (2) primary schools in Los Tambos and Billy White used as hurricane shelter and building three (3) hurricane shelters in the settlements of Duck Run 1, Duck Run 3 and Santa Familia during natural disasters. Approximately 500 of the most vulnerable and displaced people including women, children, senior citizens, and the poor will benefit directly from sheltering in these facilities in events of disasters.
- Upgrading the water systems to meet Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Standards (WASH) for ~ 3,350 residents of Billy White, Los Tambos and Santa Familia.
- Establishing a polyclinic in Duck Run 1 to service this community and neighbouring Billy White, Duck Run 2, Duck Run 3, and Los Tambos. The facility will be equipped with basic furniture, medical equipment, and supplies and benefit ~ 5,180 residents of these settlements, especially displaced persons with limited access to health services (women, children and elders).
