Belmopan, 28 May 2012
Ambassador Paola Amadei signs Financing Agreement with Government of Belize on Climate Change
Her Excellency Paola Amadei, Head of Delegation, European Union, arrives in Belize to present her credentials to the Governor General of Belize and for an official visit, after taking office in Jamaica March of this year. Ambassador Amadei’s official visit will include the signing of a Financing Agreement with the Government of Belize (GoB) on Climate Change.
As a result of the signing of the Financing Agreement on Climate Change, Belize will benefit from a Climate Change Project entitled ‘Enhance adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change in national policies’ which aims to develop a resilient water sector and enhance climate change governance through the establishment of a Climate Change Office. The European Union (EU) will contribute Euro 2.9 mn (BZD 7.25 mn) and GoB will contribute Euro 0.3 mn (BZD 0.75 mn) to the project.
The project will support the strengthening of the National Climate Change Office which is providing economic, social and environmental expertise to meet the Government’s objectives. The proposed action also foresees to address capacity development of water governance mechanisms, such as the National Integrated Water Resources Authority, to facilitate coordination among water resource managers and users as well as provide the legal basis for responsible management of the country’s water resource base. Finally, physical interventions are foreseen in the form of pilot projects which should result in better adaptation to and/or better mitigation of the negative effects of droughts, flooding, soil erosion (also in coastal areas) and salinization.
The project will be implemented by UNDP under a Contribution Agreement and targets directly climate change governance structures, positioning the Government of Belize to effectively plan for and manage the effects of climate change on Belize’s Development. The primary target group includes GOB planners, decision makers and functionaries with responsibility for climate change management. Individual communities are set to directly benefit through project adaptation pilots.
For more information please contact:
Richard van der Horst
Delegation of the European Union
Phone: +501 822 0871
[email protected]
CEO Yvonne Hyde
Sir Edney Cain Building,
P.O. Box 42, Belmopan, Belize
Tel: 501-822-2526/27
Fax: 501-822-3673
