Don’t stop Belize-ing

Huba Varady dives into the holiday haven of Central America, Belize.

The Belizean people could be described as polyglots. Although the most widely spoken language is Belizean Creole, the official language of the country is English, but Spanish is also widely spoken. In fact, over half of the population is multilingual.

Tucked away in the North-East of Central America, the island of Belize has a population of around 409,000 people (2019), smaller than any other country in Central America. Due to its colonial history, it is a diverse island with many different cultures that make it attractive to tourists. In terms of its climate, Belize is subtropical which supports high levels of biodiversity and renders it a site of natural beauty. Its appealing climate and the fact that English is an official language result in almost 1 million tourists (70% of which are American) visiting this getaway destination annually.

Recently there has been an increasing awareness of the negative-effects of tourism, especially carbon emissions from holidays. Belize is motivated to address this issue. While many tourists cherish the variety of both plant and animal life on the island, the locals also see the preservation of the island’s ecosystems as of paramount importance. The greatest worry seems to be damage to its coral reef, part of the larger Mesoamerican reef. This is because the community is reliant on a healthy reef system for its fishing and tourist industries - in fact around half of its population are reliant on the coral.

Coral reefs provide $4 billion yearly to the Carribean, and for Belize it provides 15% of its GDP. Increases in water temperature - suspected to be caused by global warming - result in coral bleaching where the algae that live symbiotically with the coral, leave. This also turns the coral white making it less appeal

The Caye Caulker split in Belize

ing for tourists. The increased water temperature also creates a better environment for the spread of disease that causes less fish to stay alive, and the ones that do to be smaller. Without action, these reefs are projected to disappear by 2060.

Back in 2015 Leonardo DiCaprio bought an island in Belize for $1.75 million, named Blackadore Caye. The purpose behind this purchase was to create an eco-resort. DiCaprio himself said that the project would be “ground-breaking in the environmental movement”. The actor plans to build a hotel including 36 estate villas and 36 resort bungalows that are designed to be ‘off the grid living homes’. Solar panels fuelled by the Carribean sun

“Without action, these reefs are projected to disappear by 2060.“

will allow these villas to be 100% carbon neutral, while even adding advanced technologies such as circadian lighting that adjusts the level of light to be in harmony with our body clock. This not only helps the guest to fall asleep easier but also saves energy in the evening. This resort is a glimpse of hope and also a demonstration of the increasing awareness of the effects of climate change. The encouraging fact is that this constructive attitude is being displayed in a holiday destination, where we would assume that people tend to unwind and relax, forgetting about their other obligations. However DiCaprio shows us that one can do both at the same time.