The Evolution of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belize.

1989 Meeting of the Minds | San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Photo credit: Ms. Janet Gibson

The concept of implementing coastal zone management in Belize was born out of a historic International Coastal Resources Management Workshop held in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye from August 23^rd -25^th 1989.  The initiative, also known as “the Meeting of the Minds”, was in response to concerns that the coastal zone was being developed at a rapid pace, and there was no national development plan in place at the time to guide resource utilization and conservation.  The meeting was attended by local experts as well as over 50 participants from around the world including the USA, Caribbean, Australia, and Costa Rica.  One important outcome of the workshop was that all the experts agreed that Belize required an integrated, holistic approach to resource management of its coastal resources to ensure the long-term viability of its barrier reef system.  Coastal Zone Management (CZM) was identified as the approach that could best strike a balance between economic development and sustainable management of the coastal zone.

By March 1990, a CZM Unit and Technical Committee were formed.  The Technical Committee led the charge of cross-sectoral coordination among all agencies identified as important for CZM and included government agencies, research/educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and coastal communities. Despite making great progress in its infancy, it became clear relatively quickly that the CZM Unit alone would not be able to achieve the goals of CZM.  The legal framework and institutional arrangements for CZM were required.  Adequate financial resources were also necessary.

In early 1993, the GEF/UNDP CZM Project, “Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Belize Barrier Reef Complex” was launched, providing significant financing that has made CZM in Belize a permanent and well-established national programme. Significant funding was also received from the European Union that supported the development of Belize’s coastal zone management programme for the country.

In 1998, the Coastal Zone Management Act was passed by the government to respond to the diversification of the use of coastal land and the resulting increase in demand among other challenges such as rapid development, overfishing, and population growth. The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) was established that same year and mandated to work with a broad scope of partners and stakeholders to produce an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan for Belize to mitigate any adverse effects to Belize’s coastal resources and ensure their sustainable development. The ICZM Plan was completed and ratified by Cabinet in 2016 and is now being socialized by the CZMAI to all partners and stakeholders around the country whose work or development interest falls under the broad remit of the ICZM Plan.