Monday, October 26, 2015. BMG: According to Caribbean News Now, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a technical assistance grant to Belize to help make the country’s water sector less vulnerable to climate change impacts.
National water provider Belize Water Services Limited (BWS) received US$134,000 to finance consultancy services to support BWS’ efforts to:
- develop a climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) for three water systems;
- formulate an adaptation plan of action responding to the vulnerabilities identified; and
- build the necessary capacity for BWS to conduct CRVAs of their remaining systems.
Through the grant funding, BWS staff will be trained in performing CRVAs. The training covers a range of topics such as strategies for climate change adaptation planning; identifying, characterising and prioritising climate risks; strategies for managing climate vulnerabilities; and preparation of an adaptation plan of action.
In 2014, an assessment of the water sector in the Caribbean funded by CDB showed that a more standardised assessment, monitoring and reporting process is needed to make the water and sanitation sector in Belize more resilient to climate change impacts.