Conservation action plan
| Action | Resource needs | Responsibility | Timeline | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better waste management through beach cleanup and controlling pollution sources through enactment and stringent enforcement of waste management legislation | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$15,000) Technology transfer | Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network, Government of Belize | 5 years | Such actionable measures will facilitate greater elimination of non-climate stressors on mangroves such as pollution |
| Develop additional policies and enforcement to provide a robust framework for mangrove management and ensure the halting of mangrove forests losses in the general use zone (in keeping with Sustainable Development Goal Target 15.2.) | Public financing (ca. US$10,000) | Government of Belize | 5 years | These policy measures will aid in preventing destruction to mangrove nursery areas and reducing the impacts on other nearshore marine ecosystems. Provisions could also be made for commercial fishing in a sustainable manner since the general use zone provides fertile and valuable fishing ground |
| Incentivised outreach and educational programmes for landowners across Belize to promote effective mangrove conservation and restoration and foster mangrove conservation networks | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$50,000) | Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network, Government of Belize | 2 years | Active participation in mangrove management and conservation by individuals and experts who use coastal resources daily will increase understanding and awareness of the ecosystem services provided by Belize’s mangroves |
| Robust Communication Strategy to better communicate enacted zoning policies that guide development and enforce regulations, especially to foreign property-owners | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$10,000) | Government of Belize, Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network | 3 years | Apprise foreign property-owners in a more effective manner of domestic mangrove regulations in Belize |
| Long-term monitoring surveys to capture environmental drivers such as climate change, sea-level fluctuations and anthropogenic pressure on the biodiversity and evolution of mangrove ecosystems | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$20,000) Technology transfer | Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network | 10 years | The lessons learnt from these surveys may be useful to inform conservation and restoration actions |
| Action | Resource needs | Responsibility | Timeline | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better waste management through beach cleanup and controlling pollution sources through enactment and stringent enforcement of waste management legislation | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$15,000) | Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network, Government of Belize | 5 years | Such actionable measures will facilitate greater elimination of non-climate stressors on mangroves such as pollution |
| Develop additional policies and enforcement to provide a robust framework for mangrove management and ensure the halting of mangrove forests losses in the general use zone (in keeping with Sustainable Development Goal Target 15.2.) | Public financing (ca. US$10,000) | Government of Belize | 5 years | These policy measures will aid in preventing destruction to mangrove nursery areas and reducing the impacts on other nearshore marine ecosystems. Provisions could also be made for commercial fishing in a sustainable manner since the general use zone provides fertile and valuable fishing ground |
| Incentivised outreach and educational programmes for landowners across Belize to promote effective mangrove conservation and restoration and foster mangrove conservation networks | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$50,000) | Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network, Government of Belize | 2 years | Active participation in mangrove management and conservation by individuals and experts who use coastal resources daily will increase understanding and awareness of the ecosystem services provided by Belize’s mangroves |
| Robust Communication Strategy to better communicate enacted zoning policies that guide development and enforce regulations, especially to foreign property-owners | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$10,000) | Government of Belize, Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network | 3 years | Apprise foreign property-owners in a more effective manner of domestic mangrove regulations in Belize |
| Long-term monitoring surveys to capture environmental drivers such as climate change, sea-level fluctuations and anthropogenic pressure on the biodiversity and evolution of mangrove ecosystems | Donor and private/public financing (ca. US$20,000) | Belize Association of Private Protected Areas, Belizean Mangrove Conservation Network | 10 years | The lessons learnt from these surveys may be useful to inform conservation and restoration actions |
Source(s): Authors’ own work and Adger et al. (2007), Gilman et al. (2008) and Ellison et al. (2020)