Belize and the UK sign MOU Implement the LandscapesBiodiverse Fund

March 9, 2021 - The Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, and the UK Government signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize the cooperation between both governments to implement the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund.

Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, signed on behalf of the Government of Belize, and Her Excellency Nicole Davison, British High Commissioner to Belize, signed on behalf of the UK Government.

The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund is a programme developed by the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) which supports poverty reduction, biodiversity protection and conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation outcomes across six biologically diverse landscapes worldwide. It also supports a host of governments in meeting international commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.

The programme will invest up to US$20 million between 2023 and 2029 in Mesoamerica, covering areas of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In Belize, the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund will implement projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainable Development in the Selva Maya Region, including the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Projects will be delivered locally in communities with the support of environmental organisations, academic institutions, and the private sector. The projects will aim to accelerate the recovery of nature through activities such as supporting sustainable agricultural practices; promoting the sustainable management of resources; and strengthening the rights and capacities of indigenous people in order to better manage their natural resources.

Defra is currently in the process of selecting a delivery partner to lead the programme in the Mesoamerican landscape. Projects are expected to begin during the second quarter of 2023. The fund is classified as Official Development Assistance and is a part of the United Kingdom’s commitment to international development.