Planeta - Belize Leads the Way

Ron E. Mader (ron@GREENBUILDER.COM)
Mon, 30 Nov 1998 16:09:11 GMT

"It's essential they become involved in the management of the reserve and its
future. Economic opportunities in this area are few and far between and if we
can direct these towards conservation goals, everyone wins." When I visited
them in the Shipstern Lagoon, they were sweating away with volunteers from
Raleigh International to build a bunk house as a base for visiting students.
Despite the heat and the infernal buzz of mosquitoes, everyone declared that
the harsh living conditions were outweighed by the good work that would come
from their toil.

Behind all these conservation initiatives is the Belizean government's
commitment to rational resource use. Progress is slow, as with so much that is
institutional, but it is being made nonetheless. Arguably the government's most
important legislation of late was the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Act of this
spring, the result of five years of research and planning into how best to
manage the resources of the coast with the mounting pressures of population
growth, changing land-uses on the mainland and the mushrooming of the tourism
industry. Belize was also a recent signatory of an agreement with Mexico,
Guatemala and Honduras to improve co-operation in monitoring and managing the
Meso-Caribbean Barrier Reef which the countries share. In July the reef was
given Global 200 status by UNESCO. Later this year, a CZM Agency and Institute
will be inaugurated, reinforcing the government's commitment to the sustainable
development of the coast.

The entire article (with Dominic's photos!) can be found online
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/planeta/1198/1198belize.html

Author email: DominicHamilton@compuserve.com

--
      http://www.greenbuilder.com
   telnet://fc.greenbuilder.com:3000
           modem:  512.462.0633

---
Green Building Professionals Directory at
http://www.greenbuilder.com/directory/