Local Based Community Groups: Belize Case Study

Belize is a very stable nation (for being located in Central America) with much to offer the world in the field of environmental studies, policy and planning. Since the nation is very young (as it's peaceful Independence from Great Britain occurred in 1981) and has a very low population density, Belize has a lot to offer when it comes to performing community based projects within localities to curb environmental degradation.

The Belize Audubon Society works with the government of Belize’s Forest Department, Fisheries Department and Institute of Archaeology and protects over 192 thousand acres of protected public lands in Belize. These are some of the richest areas of biodiversity and natural resources, as it consists of critical area habitat for jaguars, a wetland of international importance, great coral reefs, limestone caves and ancient Mayan ruins. The emphasis on the community based projects organized in Belize are the heart and soul of the environmental movement and recognition of its importance as Belize has become a world supplier for mahogany and timber products within the last 200 years.

Another community based initiative is the Programme for Belize located in an area that was previously desecrated by the mahogany and timber industry. This area works with local groups, individuals and school children to inform them on how to the nation's vital resources in the future. The PFB is so successful because the public has vested interests in the land, as many families have been in Belize for hundreds of years. The self interest in protecting their own land allows collaboration in protecting all of the land as a whole, allowing these programs to be successful.

Most programs work with locals to create low impact tourism, environmental education of non destructive human interaction between nature and visitors, and forestry programs to include experiments, pilot trials and constant monitoring of impacts in order to create sustainable resource extraction in such a vital industry to Belize. Programme For Belize also has international influence with projects such as The Carbon Sequestration Pilot Project, which is a global model on the predictions of effects of carbon sequestration. Other projects include the Halfmoon Caye Sanctuary at Glover's Reef (2nd largest in the world behind the Great Barrier Reef) run by the Wildlife Conservation Society to monitor the changing ocean environment as global warming is occurring by measuring, tagging species, monitoring and indicating the health of the reef system and insuring that local fisherman obey the fishing laws.

But as the fishing, timber and tourism industry grow each day, certain challenges remain to the vitality of the community based programs. Several threats have been identified which include hunting, timber theft, incursion involving marijuana field cultivations, economic restraints, some politcal resistance, hardwood/pine Savannah forest fires and foreign (non-civilian) investors buying and deteriorating coastal lands in the self interest of business. Programme for Belize has implemented a multi-pronged approach in addressing the major threats outlined which include patrolling, entry controls, passive protection and changing public perceptions. These program case studies can be of huge influence and reference to developing nations as well as low density population states, like those of the Midwest and some Western portions of the United States.

Informational video http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27782889#27782889