Belize well represented at UNDP’s JCCCP Project Closure Workshop in St. Lucia

November 5, 2019

UNDP’s Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership Project held its three-day wrap up event in St. Lucia in September 2019.  The regional climate action project, which was launched in 2016 with funding from the Government of Japan, was implemented in eight Caribbean countries including Belize, and benefitted more than 200,000 people directly. The St. Lucia gathering allowed for the exchange of experiences, best practices and lessons gained over its four (4) years of implementation.

Attending the wrap-up event was a delegation of ten (10) from Belize, consisting of farmers, educators, government officials including country’s representative to the project Board, CEO Peter Allen of the Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities, and UNDP project team.

Belize participants along with CEO Peter Allen of the Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities

UNDP’s J-CCCP implemented more than thirty-five community-based projects across the Caribbean. The scope of these initiatives ranged from targeted interventions for water resources management, to renewable energy and energy efficiency.

In Belize much work was done in the climate proofing of the agriculture sector; targeting agriculture smallholders with capacity building efforts and with small scale technology and investments supporting adaptation.  Utilizing established Farmers Field Schools and demonstration farms, JCCCP in Belize reached 569 farmers (451 men and 118 women) and 1,376 agriculture students (740 males and 636 female) with a comprehensive curriculum on climate smart agriculture. The curriculum was specially developed for the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Central American Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE). At the time of project closure more than 3,000 acres of farm and pasture lands were under sustainable production or grazing practices through the support of the JCCCP.

  

The success realized in Belize contributed to the overall success attained by the regional project, surpassing all originally planned targets.  We invite you to visit the attached link and learn more about JCCCP impacts in Belize https://youtu.be/kWLcX-lsFTo

Participating Farmer at the Photo exhibit besides a picture highlighted at the photo exhibit of his family