Belize's coastal and marine environment is the backbone of the country's economy and culture and the heart of the Mesoamerican Reef - the largest transboundary coral reef system in the world and a hotspot of marine biodiversity. However, the coastal region is coming under increasing pressure - and with it the livelihoods of the local people.
The Mesoamerican Reef stretches along the entire coast from Belize to the neighboring countries of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. It is home to a variety of marine and coastal ecosystems, including corals, mangroves and seagrass beds. There are more than 60 species of coral, over 500 species of fish and several endangered marine species, including sea turtles and whale sharks.
Within the Mesoamerican Reef, the Southern Belize Reef Complex is a crucial region when it comes to conserving viable populations of endangered species, including the hawksbill turtle, great hammerhead shark, Morelet's crocodile and Antillean manatee. However, the region is not only a jewel of marine biodiversity, its reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds also provide protection from extreme weather events for the local population and coastline.
But this is only possible if the ecosystems remain healthy. Unfortunately, like many other coastal regions, this area is under increasing pressure from human activities such as unregulated, unsustainable construction activities (e.g. hotel construction) along the coast and in the lagoons. An estimated 17.3 percent of the region's mangrove forests has been lost through deforestation.
Unsustainable fishing practices and shipping also threaten the rich biodiversity and vital ecosystem services of the Southern Belize Reef Complex. At the same time, climate change poses enormous challenges to the region due to rising sea levels, rising sea temperatures and increasing ocean acidification, as well as increasingly frequent and intense storms.
WWF wants to counteract the further destruction of ecosystems in this fascinating region, which is also particularly threatened by the climate crisis. As part of the project “Strengthening ecological and livelihood resilience in the Southern Belize Reef Complex”, which runs from November 2024 to 2029 and is funded by the Blue Action Fund, WWF has formulated specific goals and developed measures to be implemented on the ground. Within this project, WWF Mesoamerica is working closely with WWF Germany and the local NGO Southern Environmental Association (SEA) as well as Humana People to People. As co-managing partner of two of the five marine protected areas, SEA is an important partner for the project in terms of improved management and direct contact with fishermen and local resource users, while Humana People to People Belize supports the activities in the development of alternative sustainable livelihoods.
The Reef Guard project: Sustaining life and livelihoods aims to improve the management of 4 existing marine protected areas in the Southern Belize Reef Complex (SBRC):
The project is further working towards the protection and designation of Placencia Lagoon as a conservation area.
Additionally, project activities will benefit the people and livelihoods in 7 coastal communities:
Project Timeframe: 5 years (2024-2029)
Project executing partners:
Government Partner:
A comprehensive safeguards framework is set up to systematically identify and assess environmental and social risks and impacts through the course of the project. This framework includes the following:
You may find more information on the Complaints Resolution Process (Grievance Mechanism) by following this link.
We are also working with local liaisons (community representatives) to:
With support from the Blue Action Fund.